WASHINGTON — Coal sinking to record low volumes, lingering trade uncertainty, and a manufacturing slowdown are largely responsible for this year’s rail traffic slump, which is not as bad as it appears due to comparisons with an unusually robust 2018, Association of American Railroads economists said today. Nearly half of the overall drop in carload […]
AAR: Traffic down across the board compared to 2018 for the week of November 30 NEWSWIRE
Association of American Railroads WASHINGTON — The Association of American Railroads today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending Nov. 30, 2019, as well as volumes for November 2019. U.S. railroads originated 955,579 carloads in November 2019, down 7.5%, or 77,166 carloads, from November 2018. U.S. railroads also originated 1,019,766 containers and trailers in […]
California high speed route could require tunnel under Burbank airport NEWSWIRE
An Alaska Airlines flight departs from Burbank (Calif.) Airport as a Metrolink train pauses at the Burbank Airport-South station in February 2019. California’s high speed rail project could require a tunnel under the airport. TRAINS: David Lassen BURBANK — Construction of California’s high speed rail line into Los Angeles may require a tunnel under the […]
Canadian National snares Canadian coal contract currently held by Canadian Pacific NEWSWIRE
MONTREAL — Canadian National has wrestled away a major Canadian metallurgical coal contract from rival Canadian Pacific. CN will begin hauling Teck coal from Kamloops, British Columbia, to port terminals in Vancouver and Prince Rupert, B.C., in April 2021, the companies announced on Wednesday. CP will continue to carry the coal from Teck’s four CP-served […]
Canadian Pacific has eyes on its old route to Quebec City NEWSWIRE
Keith Creel, Canadian Pacific CEO Canadian Pacific PALM BEACH, Fla. — Piece by piece, Canadian Pacific wants to reacquire routes it cast off east of Montreal two decades ago. In November, CP said it would acquire the 401-mile Central Maine & Quebec, a deal that includes former CP trackage from Montreal to Maine and a […]
CP employee killed in British Columbia NEWSWIRE
VANCOUVER — A 56-year-old Canadian Pacific employee was killed on the job this week at the railroad’s yard in Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, near Vancouver. Spokesman Andy Cummings confirms an employee was killed on Dec. 2 but offered few details about the events surrounding the incident. He says a “thorough investigation is underway.” The Transportation […]
CSX Transportation may limit line sales to those already on the block NEWSWIRE
Jim Foote, CSX Transportation CEO CSX Corp. PALM BEACH, Fla. — CSX Transportation may limit line sales to the routes that it currently has out to bid. “We’re going to be very, very, very careful before we would ever sell anything,” CEO Jim Foote told an investor conference on Tuesday. “We’re not interested in exiting […]
FRA looks to expand grade-crossing program NEWSWIRE
A Brightline train speeds across Atlantic Avenue in Delray Beach, Fla., in January 2019. The FRA is looking to expand a program to address grade-crossing accidents in Florida and the nine other states with the highest number of grade-crossing incidents, and to require other states to come up with new plans. TRAINS: David Lassen WASHINGTON […]
MBTA pulls new Orange Line rail cars from service NEWSWIRE
BOSTON — The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority has removed its new Orange Line transit railcars from service while engineers investigate an “uncommon noise” coming from beneath the cars. MBTA spokeswoman Lisa Battison told Streetsblog Massachusetts in an email that the cars were removed from service “with safety as a top priority and out of an […]
Metro-North holiday special set for first trips (updated) NEWSWIRE
On Tuesday, the two-engine, three-car Metro-North Holiday Train awaits the start of employee thank-you trips at Grand Central Terminal in New York City. P32AC-DM No. 229 is at the front. Each of the three passenger car is at least 70 years old. Ralph Spielman Metro-North car No. 2 was built by Budd in 1949 as […]
Virginia Museum of Transportation hunting for new executive director NEWSWIRE
ROANOKE, Va. — The Virginia Museum of Transportation is searching for a new executive director for the third time in less than two years. On Nov. 27, Bob Sigman stepped down as the head of the museum after six months. In May, Sigman had replaced Lisa Sphar, who had been on the job for just […]
CSX joins Maersk-led blockchain group for freight and shipping data NEWSWIRE
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — CSX Transportation is the first North American railroad to join TradeLens, a blockchain platform developed by international container carrier Maersk and by IBM. TradeLens is an open, neutral platform that includes data on half the world’s container cargo, CSX officials say. “Joining TradeLens is a further demonstration of our commitment to providing […]
