Union says BNSF, Norfolk Southern have declared impasse in crew-size negotiations

Logo of SMART-TD union

CLEVELAND, Ohio — BNSF Railway and Norfolk Southern have declared an impasse in negotiations with unions over crew size, one of the unions has informed its members. The International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers-Transportation Division told its members that the two railroads declared the impasse under Section 6 of the Railway […]

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Traffic density data issue snags regulatory review of CP-KCS merger

Surface Transportation Board logo

WASHINGTON – Federal regulators have asked Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern to explain a discrepancy in the baseline traffic figures they use as part of their merger application.  The railroads provided one set of traffic density data for the merger application itself and another set for the Surface Transportation Board’s environmental analysis. CP and […]

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BNSF, J.B. Hunt to expand intermodal capacity

BNSF Railway logo

FORT WORTH, Tex. — Longtime partners BNSF Railway and J.B. Hunt today said they will significantly boost intermodal capacity in the next few years by adding containers, chassis, and well cars while expanding terminals and their capabilities.  “Over the past few years, intermodal has been disrupted by increased demand and tight capacity, resulting in poor […]

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Railroads and shippers argue over reciprocal switching proposal

Surface Transportation Board logo

WASHINGTON — Railroads and shipper groups squared off over a proposed reciprocal switching rule during a daylong Surface Transportation Board hearing on Tuesday, with railroads warning of dire operational consequences and sole-served shippers saying they needed relief from high rates and poor service. Federal regulators seemed sympathetic to shippers’ concerns but grappled with how they […]

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Carload Considerations: Oil’s sudden rise creates new demand, challenges for frac sand

Train with red locomotives and covered hopper cars

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Texas Intermediate oil has eclipsed $100 a barrel in recent days, a substantial comeback from the record-low, negative-$37.00-per-barrel price during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in April 2020. Oil’s rally, driven by a recovering economy and exacerbated by the Russian-Ukraine War is pressuring U.S. oil companies to increase shale production. […]

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AAR’s research and testing subsidiary renamed ‘MvX Rail’

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PUEBLO, Colo. — The Association of American Railroads is rebranding its research and technology subsidiary as “MvX Rail,” the AAR announced today. The subsidiary had previously been known as Transportation Technology Center Inc., or TTCI — a name that became problematic and a source of some confusion when the Federal Railroad Administration granted a lease […]

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Union has yet to issue strike notice against CP in Canada (updated and corrected)

Train of hopper cars with grain elevator in background

CALGARY — While Canadian Pacific workers in Canada have authorized a strike that could have begun as soon as tonight, their union has yet to provide the 72-hour notice necessary before walking out. Canadian agriculture and industry remain concerned about the potential impact of a walkout, and the railroad says on its website that a […]

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Railroads say unions’ request to end mediation is premature

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ARLINGTON, Va. — The organization representing railroads in bargaining with labor over a new national contract is disputing a request by unions to move the process from mediation to arbitration, saying the two sides have not yet reached an impasse. The statement issued Friday by the railroad group, the National Carrier’s Conference Committee, was responding […]

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Railroads yet to benefit from East Coast intermodal boom: Analysis

Train of containers on high bridge

NEW YORK — East Coast ports are handling a record number of containers due to ongoing supply chain issues in California and the West, but railroads aren’t seeing this equate to more intermodal volume for a number of reasons. First, rail doesn’t have the same international intermodal market share in the East as it does […]

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State won’t enter dispute over ownership of North Dakota bridge

Steam-powered passenger train on large truss bridge over water

BISMARCK, N.D. — The state of North Dakota will not become involved in a claim that the state owns a BNSF rail bridge slated for replacement, leading the preservation group that made the contention to say it is “shocked” by the decision. The Bismarck Tribune reports the Friends of the Rail Bridge group seeks to […]

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Rail employee group voices support for Amtrak Gulf Coast service

Logo of Railroad Workers United

WASHINGTON — Railroad Workers United, which describes itself as “an inter-union, cross-craft solidarity caucus of railroad workers and their supporters,” has expressed its support for Amtrak’s efforts to launch service on the Gulf Coast — while taking more than a few shots at CSX and other Class I railroads. In a statement filed with the […]

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Minnesota bill would provide $20 million for short line capital projects

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ST. PAUL, Minn. — Legislation introduced in the Minnesota House of Representatives would provide $20 million for capital improvements on the state’s short lines, which face significant costs to upgrade their infrastructure, according to the bill’s sponsor. Rep. Paul Tokelson (R-Hanska, Minn.) says the state’s 821 miles of Class II, III, and private rail lines […]

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