WASHINGTON — While U.S. rail freight traffic continues to far outdistance 2020 volume, which was depressed at this time a year ago because of shutdowns related to the COVID-19 pandemic, it also continues to show week-to-week improvement in 2021. The latest statistics from the Association of American Railroads show U.S. railroads moved 240,075 carloads in […]
NORFOLK, Va. — Reflecting continued intermodal strength — as well cost savings resulting from the continued implementation of Precision Scheduled Railroading principles — Norfolk Southern showed increases in both volume and earnings during 2021’s first quarter, as well as a new record operating-ratio figure. Quarterly revenue of $2.6 billion represented a 1% increase over the […]
CHICAGO – Canadian National has asked a federal court to set aside a U.S. Surface Transportation Board decision that has stymied CN’s acquisition of CSX Transportation’s Massena Line linking Montreal with Syracuse, N.Y. CN subsidiary Bessemer & Lake Erie filed the suit last week in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. The STB […]
CP says its voting-trust proposal for KCS should be subject to different standards than CN proposal In its latest argument against Canadian National’s competing bid for Kansas City Southern, Canadian Pacific says CN is wrong to argue that the CN and CP proposals for placing KCS in a voting trust should be judged by the […]
An Amtrak special equipment move through Wilmington, Del., at 6:20 a.m. on Wednesday morning with “Salute to Veterans” ACS-46 No. 642 on the point and two P42 diesels in tow carrying two of Amtrak’s six 50th-anniversary paint schemes — “Midnight Blue” locomotive No. 100, and No. 46, which carries the current paint scheme with large […]
Maryland DOT turns down request for single-tracking at Purple Line station, citing ‘significant risk’ to project The Maryland Department of Transportation has turned down a request to reduce the Purple Line light rail project to a single track at its Bethesda station. Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich had made the request, seeking to create room […]
CICERO, Ill. — Wabtec’s FLXdrive battery-electric locomotive No. 3000 made an appearance in the Chicago area on Tuesday, showing up as the trailing unit in a three-unit set of locomotives on an eastbound train of hopper cars. The train arrived at Cicero Yard shortly before noon, and departed a little more than two hours later, […]
President Biden to appear at Amtrak event in Philadelphia President Joe Biden will travel to Philadelphia on Friday to take part in Amtrak’s 50th anniversary celebration, the White House has announced. The New York Times reports Biden will appear at an event at 30th Street Station, promoting his $2.3 trillion infrastructure plan, as well as […]
WASHINGTON – Federal regulators have indefinitely postponed Canadian National’s proposed sale of former Wisconsin Central branches to short line operator Watco. The Surface Transportation Board ordered Watco to respond to concerns that some shippers, shipper associations, and U.S. Rep Tom Tiffany, R-Wis., have raised about the sale of 650 miles of light density branches, including […]
WASHINGTON — The $1.69 billion Congress authorized for passenger rail economic stimulus relief when it passed the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 last month was formally conveyed to Amtrak Tuesday by U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “This new assistance for Amtrak will get employees back to work and restore service on routes […]
MONTREAL — Canadian National has ordered 75 locomotives for delivery this year and next in order to handle projected traffic growth. CN, which made the announcement on Monday during its quarterly earnings call, is the only Class I railroad to place a locomotive order this year. The railway’s board approved the order before CN made its […]
MONTREAL — Canadian National has raised its financial outlook for the year amid record first-quarter intermodal and Canadian grain volumes, and expectations for continued economic improvement that will boost merchandise traffic. CN now expects volume to grow in the high single-digit percentage range this year, up from around 5% forecast in January, executives said while […]
