Class I railroads

7 hot issues for rail stakeholders in 2024

googletag.cmd.push(function() { var gptSlot = googletag.defineSlot(‘/21776187881/FW-Responsive-Main_Content-Slot1’, [[728, 90], [468, 60], [300, 100], [320, 50]], ‘div-gpt-ad-b1-i-fw-ad-1’).defineSizeMapping(gptSizeMaps.banner1).setCollapseEmptyDiv(true).addService(googletag.pubads());
gptAdSlots.push(gptSlot);
});

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-b1-i-fw-ad-1’); });

Railroads, shippers and unions are tracking hot topics ranging from service improvement to...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/7-hot-issues-for-rail-stakeholders-in-2024

FRA’s train crew size rule moves forward

googletag.cmd.push(function() { var gptSlot = googletag.defineSlot(‘/21776187881/FW-Responsive-Main_Content-Slot1’, [[728, 90], [468, 60], [300, 100], [320, 50]], ‘div-gpt-ad-b1-i-fw-ad-3’).defineSizeMapping(gptSizeMaps.banner1).setCollapseEmptyDiv(true).addService(googletag.pubads());
gptAdSlots.push(gptSlot);
});

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-b1-i-fw-ad-3’); });

The Federal Railroad Administration has submitted its final rule on train crew staffing to the U.S....

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/fras-train-crew-size-rule-moves-forward

Improving rail service key to growing intermodal volumes: Consultant

Intermodal rail in 2024 is likely to still face pressure from the trucking market; however, market conditions for the overall freight transportation market also appear to be returning to pre-pandemic patterns, and so providing good rail service will be key in enabling intermodal rail to compete, according to Matt Muenster, chief economist for Breakthrough, a transportation management technology provider.

“Railways will likely experience headwinds in growing intermodal shipping in 2024,...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/improving-rail-service-key-to-growing-intermodal-volumes-consultant

Derailment, safety, partnerships among rail’s big issues in 2023

googletag.cmd.push(function() { var gptSlot = googletag.defineSlot(‘/21776187881/FW-Responsive-Main_Content-Slot1’, [[728, 90], [468, 60], [300, 100], [320, 50]], ‘div-gpt-ad-b1-i-fw-ad-1’).defineSizeMapping(gptSizeMaps.banner1).setCollapseEmptyDiv(true).addService(googletag.pubads());
gptAdSlots.push(gptSlot);
});

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-b1-i-fw-ad-1’); });

2023 seemed to kick off quietly for U.S. freight railroads: The industry had seen the resolution of...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/derailment-safety-partnerships-among-rails-big-issues-in-2023

Class I railroad executives outline plans to bolster rail service

The ongoing theme of improving rail service as a means to capture market share away from trucking again appeared in comments from Class I railroad executives speaking at recent investor conferences.

To frame the discussion around rail service, CSX executives started by looking at what factors and conditions led market share away from rail to truck.

The railroads need to demonstrate that the service they provide is consistently reliable, according to CSX President and CEO Joe Hinrichs. who pointed...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/class-i-railroad-executives-outline-plans-to-bolster-rail-service

STB chairman will not seek reappointment to agency

Surface Transportation Board Chairman Marty Oberman will not seek reappointment to the agency, the STB confirmed late Thursday.

STB spokesman Michael Booth said Oberman announced at the RailTrends conference in New York that he had decided against seeking reappointment, according to a news release from the board. The release said Oberman will continue to serve several months into next year, which is within his one-year holdover period. His current term is set to expire on Dec. 31 of this year.

STB...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/stb-chairman-will-not-seek-reappointment-to-agency

STB gets earful on proposed rule for reciprocal switching

googletag.cmd.push(function() { var gptSlot = googletag.defineSlot(‘/21776187881/FW-Responsive-Main_Content-Slot1’, [[728, 90], [468, 60], [300, 100], [320, 50]], ‘div-gpt-ad-b1-i-fw-ad-4’).defineSizeMapping(gptSizeMaps.banner1).setCollapseEmptyDiv(true).addService(googletag.pubads());
gptAdSlots.push(gptSlot);
});

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-b1-i-fw-ad-4’); });

The Surface Transportation Board recently closed the comment period for rail stakeholders to file...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/stb-gets-earful-on-proposed-rule-for-reciprocal-switching

Head count for US Class I rail operations shows mixed bag

The average number of employees working for the U.S.-based operations of the Class I railroads for the first three quarters of 2023 is roughly flat to lower compared with the same period in 2020, according to data collected by the Surface Transportation Board.

But when comparing those two periods, only two rail employment categories from within that total number grew: the train and engine (T&E) category and the category for executives, officials and staff assistants. 

On average, the U.S....

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/head-count-for-us-class-i-rail-operations-shows-mixed-bag

Many headwinds faced rails in Q3 but future could be brighter: Analyst

Third-quarter results might still be under pressure from lower rail volumes and higher operational costs, but investors should keep their eyes on the freight rail industry longer term, according to Susequehanna transportation analyst Bascome Majors.

“We’re comfortable with our yet-again-reduced 2024 forecasts for rails (EPS 3% to 9% below consensus). After more than a year on the sidelines, we’re actively looking for mid-term re-entry points on any short-term stumbles,” Majors said in a Tuesday...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/many-headwinds-faced-rails-in-q3-but-future-could-be-brighter-analyst

‘More needs to be done to promote freight rail competition’

U.S. Sens. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., and Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., want the Surface Transportation Board to press on with a rulemaking they say could enable shippers to receive better rail service and make the U.S. rail network more resilient.

The two senators sent a letter to STB Chairman Marty Oberman dated Monday asking him to “move swiftly” on regulation for reciprocal switching. 

Reciprocal switching is a process that would grant a shipper with access to the network of another Class I...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/more-needs-to-be-done-to-promote-freight-rail-competition

+ More
Join Our Newsletter
Enter your email to receive a weekly round-up of shipping news.
icon
By subscribing, you agree with our privacy policy and our terms of service.