BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Carload and intermodal traffic has bottomed out and has started to rebound amid the COVID-19 pandemic, freight forecasting firm FTR Transportation Intelligence said today. “Weekly volume data from the Association of American Railroads and analyzed by FTR shows that rail volumes, in the intermodal and carload sectors, are likely near the bottom,” […]
Type of Train: Freight
Study places cost of restoring Vancouver Island rail line at up to $700 million
More Wednesday morning rail news: — It would take more than $700 million to restore the former Esquimalt & Nanaimo Railway line on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, to operating condition suitable for a proposed commuter rail service, and another $600 million to launch such a service, according to a government report issued Tuesday. The Vancouver […]
InnoTrans rescheduled to April 2021 NEWSWIRE
More Monday rail news: — InnoTrans, the world’s largest rail trade fair, has been rescheduled to April 27-30, 2021, in Berlin. The event, held every other year, was postponed from its original date of Sept. 22-25 of this year when Berlin’s government placed a ban on events with more than 5,000 people through Oct. 24. […]
AAR data shows US rail traffic crash; automotive carloads down more than 88% NEWSWIRE
Association of American Railroads WASHINGTON — The Association of American Railroads this week reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending April 18, 2020. For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 403,283 carloads and intermodal units, down 23.3% compared with the same week last year. Total carloads for the week ending April 18 […]
Crash in oil prices could mean Canadian Pacific crude-by-rail traffic falls to zero NEWSWIRE
An empty Canadian Pacific oil train arrives at Bensenville Yard in suburban Chicago on March 8, 2020. CP could see crude by rail traffic drop to zero in light of the crash in oil prices. TRAINS: David Lassen CALGARY, Alberta — Canadian Pacific is bracing for the possibility that crude by rail volumes could drop to […]
US Department of Transportation makes available $311.8 million for capital rail projects NEWSWIRE
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) issued a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) on Friday for the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) Program. “We’re committed to addressing the unmet transportation needs of rural areas, which face unique challenges in safety, infrastructure condition, and passenger and freight usage,” said […]
Metra official says ridership may never fully recover from virus losses NEWSWIRE
Inbound and outbound Metra trains meet in Elmwood Park, Ill., in March. A Metra official expects a long-term loss of ridership after the coronavirus pandemic. TRAINS: David Lassen Thursday morning rail news: — It may take one to three years for Metra ridership to return to 2019 levels after the coronavirus pandemic — if it […]
Rail intermodal service at best levels ever, JB Hunt executive says NEWSWIRE
J.B. Hunt containers head east on a BNSF intermodal train at Brookfield, Ill., in November 2019. A J.B. Hunt executive says the company is experiencing its best rail service ever. TRAINS: David Lassen Railroads’ intermodal service is the best it’s ever been, J.B. Hunt executives said during the company’s first-quarter earnings call on Tuesday. Darren […]
US rail traffic falls off a cliff NEWSWIRE
Association of American Railroads WASHINGTON — The Association of American Railroads today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending April 11, 2020. For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 412,503 carloads and intermodal units, down 21.9% compared with the same week last year. Total carloads for the week ending April 11 were […]
UP, Iowa Northern begin international intermodal service to Iowa (corrected) NEWSWIRE
An Iowa Northern intermodal train arrives in Manly, Iowa, on Monday for handoff to the Union Pacific, transporting agricultural products for export as part of a new service between Los Angeles and Iowa. Iowa Northern: Brad Sabin Iowa Northern has begun regular service for its new intermodal service — a partnership with Union Pacific, Denver-based […]
News Wire Digest Third Section for Friday, April 10 NEWSWIRE
A BNSF Railway oil train passes through Lisle, Ill. Railroads are resisting requests to use tank cars to store crude oil during the oil price downturn. TRAINS: David Lassen Still more Friday morning rail news: — Railroads are resisting efforts from oil companies to store crude oil in tank cars during the current drop in […]
National shippers conference cancels 2020 meeting NEWSWIRE
CHICAGO — The North American Rail Shippers Association today announced the cancellation of its 2020 Annual Meeting planned on May 12-14, 2020 in Kansas City, Mo. Every year, the NARS organization looks forward to connecting with the rail shipping community at the NARS Annual Meeting and sharing insight from industry leaders. Given the growing concerns […]
