Progress Rail files antitrust suit against Wabtec, seeks divestiture of GE Transportation

Two yellow diesel locomotives pulling a coal train. Progress Rail files antitrust suit against Wabtec

Progress Rail has filed an antitrust suit against Wabtec, arguing that the rival locomotive maker has engaged in anticompetitive behavior and should have to divest its acquisition of GE Transportation. The 2019 GE acquisition, Progress Rail says in its lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court in Delaware last week, tipped the competitive balance in […]

Read More…

CN, Norfolk Southern announce new cross-border domestic intermodal service

Canadian National and Norfolk Southern have teamed up for new cross-border domestic interline intermodal service that will link Atlanta with six Canadian locations and Kansas City, Mo., with Toronto and Montreal. The service, announced today, will launch on Oct. 2 with new steel-wheel interchanges in Detroit and Chicago, the railroads said. The service will connect […]

Read More…

The Trains Interview: A Q&A with Stefan Loeb, Norfolk Southern’s VP of first and final mile markets

Smiling man in blue polo shirt. first-mile, final-mile markets

Last month Trains sat down with Stefan Loeb, Norfolk Southern’s vice president of first and final mile markets, to discuss how local service can help the railroad grow. The position was created in April, when Loeb joined NS from shortline holding company Watco, where he was chief commercial officer [see “Norfolk Southern names intermodal and […]

Read More…

FRA: Union Pacific’s rolling stock inspection practices pose a safety risk

Numerous yellow locomotives parked in service area. Union Pacific CEO Jim Vena asks FRA for rolling stock inspection data.

WASHINGTON — Union Pacific’s freight car and locomotive inspection and maintenance practices pose a “significant risk to rail safety,” the head of the Federal Railroad Administration said in a letter sent Friday to top railroad executives. FRA Administrator Amit Bose said the agency conducted a focused inspection of UP’s mechanical operations and rolling stock in […]

Read More…

FRA safety advisory urges railroads to properly identify, repair high-impact wheels

Logo for Federal Railroad Administration

WASHINGTON – The Federal Railroad Administration has issued a safety advisory calling on railroads to use wheel impact load detectors to properly identify and replace freight car wheels that could significantly damage track and lead to derailments. The advisory was issued yesterday in response to the Feb. 21 derailment of a Union Pacific coal train […]

Read More…

Details emerge of Genesee & Wyoming plans for first test of autonomous container equipment

Genesee & Wyoming plans for first test of autonomous container equipment. Container moving independently on railroad track

WASHINGTON – A pair of Genesee & Wyoming short lines have detailed their plans to test Parallel Systems’ autonomous, battery-electric intermodal cars in an application filed with the Federal Railroad Administration. Last month G&W and Parallel announced that they were seeking FRA permission to conduct the tests next year on the Heart of Georgia Railroad […]

Read More…

CSX names CN veteran Mike Cory as its new chief operating officer

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – CSX Transportation today named Mike Cory as its chief operating officer, a role he held at Canadian National from 2016 until his retirement in 2019. “Mike Cory is one of the rail industry’s leading operations executives, respected for his wealth of operations knowledge and his success as a leader who understands the […]

Read More…

Austria’s KlimaTicket offers unique summer promotion for public rail travel

Modern commuter train racing past camera.

Public rail travel AUSTRIA – When marketing public transportation to new patronage, especially when it comes to rail travel, sometimes promotions must include thinking outside the box. That’s exactly what happened during two summer festivals in Austria as free KlimaTicket passes were given to six participants in exchange for a specific tattoo. The promotion was […]

Read More…

CSX, Georgia Ports Authority partner on daily intermodal service linking Savannah and North Carolina

SAVANNAH, Ga. – CSX Transportation and the Georgia Ports Authority have teamed up for daily international intermodal service between the Port of Savannah and Rocky Mount, N.C. The railroad and port authority said that the service would enable North Carolina importers and exporters to tap into a faster supply chain through the direct rail connection […]

Read More…

Rail traffic slump continues in August, AAR says

Association of American Railroads logo

WASHINGTON — U.S. rail traffic slumped 4.3% in August, with both carload and intermodal volume showing declines, according to the Association of American Railroads. “August was the third straight month in which total year-over-year U.S. rail carloads have fallen,” said AAR Senior Vice President John T. Gray. “A major reason why is that other than […]

Read More…

Proposed reciprocal switching rule takes aim at inadequate railroad service (updated)

WASHINGTON – Shippers who suffer from inadequate railroad service would be able to gain access to a second carrier under a new reciprocal switching rule that the Surface Transportation Board proposed today. The board unanimously voted to approve the 51-page notice of proposed rulemaking, which it said would provide a streamlined path for access to […]

Read More…

Austrian Federal Railways uses 3D-printed components on rail equipment

Modern commuter train racing past camera.

MINNEAPOLIS — Chromatic 3D Materials has begun providing 3D-printed components to be used on rail equipment in Europe. A partnership with the Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) resulted in the production of bellows, grommets, cable glands, and valve covers, according to a recent statement from Chromatic. “At Chromatic, we take pride in the durability of our […]

Read More…