Shipper group, critical of UP-NS merger, says carload and unit train customers need competitive options

Two rows of coal hoppers

WASHINGTON — The Freight Rail Customer Alliance today said that it’s opposed to the Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger, arguing that the transcontinental combination would lead to higher costs and unreliable service. The umbrella group, which represents more than 3,500 electric utility, agricultural, chemical, and alternative fuel companies, called for “guaranteed competitive solutions” for carload and […]

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Grupo Mexico railroads report higher profits despite volume and revenue declines

MEXICO CITY — Grupo Mexico’s transportation division — which includes Ferromex, Ferrosur, Florida East Coast Railway, and Texas Pacifico — reported higher second quarter operating income last week despite lower volume and revenue. The transportation division’s operating income increased 4.9%, to $255.4 million, as revenue declined 3.3% to $853 million. The railroads’ combined operating ratio […]

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Coal and efficiency gains power BNSF’s second quarter profit growth

orange locomotive and train comes around curve in Wyoming

OMAHA, Neb. — BNSF Railway’s profits surged in the second quarter thanks to a combination of efficiency gains, lower costs, and higher coal volumes. The railway’s pre-tax earnings increased 11.5%, to $1.8 billion, as revenue increased 0.15%, to $5.7 billion, corporate parent Berkshire Hathaway said on Saturday. Operating expenses declined 4.7% as fuel costs decreased […]

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UP-NS merger puts intermodal giants on the wrong side of the map

Intermodal train entering yard with skyscrapers in distance

The proposed Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger leaves three major intermodal customers — J.B. Hunt, Schneider, and STG Logistics — in the awkward position of having their tents pitched in the wrong railroad camps. J.B. Hunt, the largest domestic truckload intermodal operator, uses BNSF Railway in the West and relies primarily on Norfolk Southern in the […]

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OmniTRAX named operator of Long Island transload center

YAPHANK, N.Y. — OmniTRAX has been named the rail operator of Brookhaven Rail Terminal on Long Island, N.Y. The terminal, recently rebranded as Long Island Reload, serves commodities, aggregates, and building materials industry customers including The Home Depot, Heidelberg, and LBM Riverhead. “Long Island plays a critical role in northeast supply chains, and we are […]

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BNSF officially opens Salt Lake City intermodal terminal

SALT LAKE CITY — BNSF Railway, Patriot Rail, and the Utah Inland Port Authority held a grand opening ceremony on Thursday for the Class I railroad’s new intermodal facility in Salt Lake City. Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, legislative leaders, and public-private partners gathered to celebrate the milestone with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. “This new facility is […]

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Report: CSX talks with investment bank about merger options

CSX locomotives with Family Lines paint scheme

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — CSX has declined to comment on a Bloomberg report that it has engaged Goldman Sachs to advise it about potential merger options. Today’s news comes in the wake of this week’s announcement that Union Pacific will acquire Norfolk Southern in an $85 billion deal that would create the first transcontinental railroad. Industry […]

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Influential shipper group: No rail mergers without better service, pricing, and competition

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The National Industrial Transportation League said today that rail shippers will not support a transcontinental railroad merger unless it’s accompanied by improvements in service, pricing, and competition. “Despite the promises that rail customers would benefit from mergers through more efficient service, in reality captive rail customers must pay increasingly higher prices for […]

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Amtrak names Corneanu as chief financial officer

Man in blue suit

WASHINGTON — Costin Corneanu has been named as Amtrak’s executive vice president, chief financial officer, effective Aug. 4. The Amtrak board approved the appointment today (July 31, 2025). Corneanu will succeed Tracie Winbigler, who will retire on Jan. 1, 2026. Until then, she will remain in her executive vice president role as chief transformation officer. […]

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