Class I railroads maintain their optimistic outlooks despite uncertainty over trade and the economy

Train with yellow locomotive on curve through surburan community

Despite mounting uncertainty over tariffs, trade policy, and the economy, most major railroads held firm on their 2025 outlooks — contrasting with a wave of guidance cuts across other industries. Among the five publicly traded Class I railroads, Canadian National, Norfolk Southern, and Union Pacific kept their guidance intact, while Canadian Pacific Kansas City and […]

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Startup aims to capture carbon from diesel locomotive exhaust

Add carbon capture to the list of potential ways railroads could reduce or eliminate greenhouse gas emissions from their fleets of diesel-electric locomotives. Remora, a Michigan-based startup company, is developing a tender-based system that can capture carbon dioxide from locomotive exhaust, liquify the gas, and store it on board. The liquified carbon dioxide would be […]

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Virginia marks groundbreaking for Amtrak extension to New River Valley

Map of rail lines between Roanoke and Christiansburg, Va.

CHRISTIANSBURG, Va. — Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin led the list of officials on hand Thursday (April 24, 2025) for groundbreaking on the New River Valley Rail Project, which will allow extension of Amtrak service from Roanoke, Va., to Christiansburg. When that service begins, it will be the first time the New River Valley has had […]

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Jury decides GATX won’t have to help pay East Palestine derailment settlement

Black cloud of smoke above town

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio — GATX, the rail equipment leasing company that owned one of the railcars in the East Palestine, Ohio, derailment, will not have to pay a portion of Norfolk Southern’s $600 million settlement with residents. After a trial that lasted more than three weeks, a federal jury in Youngstown on Wednesday found GATX Corp. […]

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NTSB report on NS rear-end collision urges FRA to finish research on patching hole in PTC

WASHINGTON — The probable cause of a rear-end collision between two Norfolk Southern freight trains near Easton, Pa., last year — an incident that involved three trains in all — was the engineer’s failure to follow restricted speed requirements, the National Transportation Safety Board said today (April 23, 2025). But the lack of positive train […]

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Cost improvements boost Norfolk Southern profits despite impact of winter storms

Norfolk Southern train crossing bridge

ATLANTA — Norfolk Southern posted higher profits in the first quarter despite flat revenue and the impact of harsh winter weather. “There’s a lot to be pleased with this quarter,” CEO Mark George said, including delivering financial results in line with expectations despite a “vicious winter” that included 18 storms. “Our network resiliency was evident […]

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Supreme Court declines to review CSX suit against Norfolk Southern

Aerial view of rail yard and container cranes at dock

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court has turned down CSX Transportation’s effort to revive an antitrust lawsuit against Norfolk Southern over access at the port of Norfolk, Va. Reuters reports that the court on Monday (April 21) announced it would decline to hear the case, dismissed last August by a lower court. The 4th U.S. […]

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Failure to set hand brakes likely caused wreck that killed Norfolk Southern engineer, NTSB says

National Transportation Safety Board logo

WASHINGTON — The probable cause of a yard collision that fatally injured a Norfolk Southern engineer in January 2024 was a conductor’s failure to ensure that hand brakes were set on a cut of cars, which allowed them to roll away and strike the engineer’s locomotive, the National Transportation Safety Board says. The incident occurred […]

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J.B. Hunt sees strong quarterly intermodal growth but faces tariff-driven uncertainty

LOWELL, Ark. – J.B. Hunt executives say their intermodal crystal ball is cloudy amid the uncertainty created by U.S. trade policy. Executives from the largest domestic intermodal operator, speaking on the company’s Tuesday evening earnings call, said customers are focused on the potential impacts of U.S. tariffs and the direction of the overall economy. “We […]

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Kentucky awards more than $3.6 million for rail infrastructure projects

Kentucky's state seal

FRANKFORT, Ky. — Kentucky is awarding more than $3.6 million in state grants under two programs to help fund rail infrastructure projects. The grants, announced Thursday, April 10, include more than $2 million under the Kentucky Industrial Access and Safety Improvements program, which provides 50% of funding for construction, improvement, or rehabilitation of rail lines, […]

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News photo: NS train reaches Asheville, N.C.

Train of hopper cars crossing concrete bridge across river

ASHEVILLE, N.C. — The continuing work to restore service on Norfolk Southern’s line into Asheville reached a milestone on Tuesday (April 8) as an NS ballast train became the first train to reach Asheville since it was closed Sept. 27, 2024, by Hurricane Helene. More than 21,500 feet of track was washed out, and another […]

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Norfolk Southern offering up to $250,000 in grants to address storm impacts

Norfolk Southern logo

ATLANTA — Norfolk Southern has launched a new grant program to aid communities hit by last week’s severe storms in the Midwest and South. The Community Disaster Relief Grant Program will provide up to $250,000 to nonprofit organizations assisting residents affected by the storm in the railroad’s operating area, the company has announced. The railroad […]

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