A screen image capture from a Metra video of natural gas-fired switch heaters. Media outlets covering the late January freeze in the Midwest have reported that Chicago’s Metra sets its tracks on fire. METRA CHICAGO — From ABC to the British Broadcasting Corp. with Stephen Colbert in between, the national and international media is obsessed […]
The Canadian National Railways started off by acquiring a handful of bankrupt and government owned railways, but soon after this takeover, and over the next decade, the Canadian National Railways expanded significantly as it purchased railroads in the United States. In this free 39-page PDF download, we dive into the details behind: The Wisconsin Central, […]
UP forecasts single-digit growth in 2019. This westbound mixed freight is in eastern Iowa. Trains: Jim Wrinn Executives from the six publicly traded Class I railroads expect 2019 to be another solid year for traffic and revenue growth amid a relatively strong economy. In most cases, the railroads expect this year to be a replay […]
A Canadian National freight makes its way through Trains’ hometown, Waukesha, Wis., in March 2018. CN announced fourth-quarter earnings earlier this week that beat analysts’ expectations. TRAINS: David Lassen MONTREAL — Canadian National had a strong finish to a year that began with congestion on its main line in Western Canada and ended with a financial […]
The engineer of Amtrak’s train 22, the Texas Eagle, assists an employee climbing aboard P42DC No. 17 on Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2019. The northbound train was stopped at Shirley, Ill., with mechanical issues related to maintaining main reservoir air pressure. At the time of the photo the air temperature was minus-9 with a windchill of […]
Lynden Tennison, UP Chief Strategy Officer Union Pacific OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific today announced the pending retirement of Chief Strategy Officer Lynden Tennison, just six months after he was named executive vice president. Tennison began serving as executive vice president and chief strategy officer on Aug. 1, 2018. Two weeks later, when chief operating […]
NORFOLK, Va. — Norfolk Southern’s fourth-quarter operational improvements enabled it to store more than 300 locomotives and return 100 leased units even as the railroad hauled record volumes and gross ton-miles. NS continued to become more fluid this month, as average train speed was up 15 percent and terminal dwell was down 11 percent compared […]
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Rep. Dan Lipinski, D-Ill., will serve as chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee’s Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials, according to a committee announcement Thursday. Lipinski’s subcommittee’s jurisdiction includes all federal laws and programs regulating railroad transportation, including railroad safety, rail infrastructure programs, economic regulation, and railroad labor […]
CALGARY, Alberta — Canadian Pacific posted record financial results for the fourth quarter and full year on Wednesday, propelled by robust revenue growth and spikes in potash and energy-related traffic. CEO Keith Creel said “2018 was a record by almost every measure and will be remembered as a watershed year for our company.” For the […]
CALGARY, Alberta — Canadian Pacific CEO Keith Creel does not believe that the spread of Precision Scheduled Railroading to U.S. Class I railroads will increase regulatory risk for the industry. “There’s always a risk and we have to manage that. And I think you manage that by educating the regulators as well as the customers […]
Union Pacific OMAHA, Neb. — Canadian National veteran Jim Vena hasn’t yet finished his second week as Union Pacific’s new chief operating officer and he already sees some low-hanging fruit that’s ready for harvest. Expect to see UP begin running longer trains this year — and building the extended sidings to necessary to handle them. […]
OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific reported record net profits for the fourth quarter and full year on Thursday and said that its new Precision Scheduled Railroading operating plan would help it reduce costs, improve service, and boost traffic volume. Executives said they expect UP to reduce its operating ratio to below 61 percent this year […]
