freight railroads

Congress, STB try to help Amtrak get on track with performance metrics

A photograph of an Amtrak train rolling down a desert field.

Congressional leaders and regulators are looking at ways Amtrak can improve its on-time performance, and they’re employing different tactics to get to that goal.

The freight railroads factor into Amtrak’s ability to meet certain on-time performance metrics because the railroads and Amtrak share the same track in certain areas of the U.S. rail network, such as near Chicago or along the Northeast corridor. By law, the freight railroads must give Amtrak and passenger rail priority use of the track.

L...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/congress-stb-try-to-help-amtrak-get-on-track-with-performance-metrics

Is electrifying the freight rail network cost prohibitive?

A photograph of a train on a track. The train is connected to catenaries.

While electrification might suit such transportation modes as trucking, many say rail might not be a good fit.

Much of the effort to decarbonize the U.S. freight rail industry has focused on the use of battery-electric or hydrogen-powered locomotives. The industry is also looking into increasing network capacity via technology as a way to improve rail service and encourage more volumes to rail from truck.

But should the electrification of the freight rail network be viewed as another way the...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/is-electrifying-the-freight-rail-network-cost-prohibitive

House hearing witnesses argue rail more relevant to economy than ever

A photograph of a freight train passing through a field while a construction vehicle is in the field.

Against the backdrop of Congress’ plans to push through a major transportation infrastructure bill, witnesses testifying at a U.S. House hearing on Wednesday spoke about the need for public partners to invest in multimodal initiatives as a way to support the freight rail industry and its workers.

An example of public and private support for a multimodal project would be the rehabilitation of the Salmon Bay Bridge in Washington, according to Tom WIlliams, group vice president of consumer products...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/house-hearing-witnesses-argue-rail-more-relevant-to-economy-than-ever

5 big freight rail themes in 2020

A photograph of a train driving through a desert.

To say that 2020 was a roller-coaster year might be an understatement. From COVID-19 to congestion, here are five themes that dominated the freight rail industry in 2020.

Coronavirus causes volume volatility

Perhaps the dominant theme of 2020 could be the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on rail volumes and the freight rail industry overall because the industry is still feeling the pandemic’s impact 10 months since the outbreak first began in North America.

Rail volumes crashed in April and May,

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/5-big-freight-rail-themes-in-2020

Big data’s benefits to freight rail and the overall supply chain

A photograph of a hopper car parked in a rail yard.

FreightWaves recently chatted with Tom Forbes, vice president at Navis Rail, a technological solutions provider for the freight rail industry. 

Forbes was formerly CEO of Melbourne, Australia-based SaaS provider Biarri Rail, which Navis acquired in February. Navis itself is part of Cargotec, a Finland-based provider of cargo and load handling technological solutions. Navis provides technological tools for improving supply chain flows.

FreightWaves and Forbes talked about what role artificial...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/big-datas-benefits-to-freight-rail-and-the-overall-supply-chain

Q3 rail recap: The good and not so good

A photograph of a train passing by a rail crossing.

With the railroads’ third-quarter earnings releases over and done, it’s time to take a look at who the “winners” and “laggards” were in Q3.

For commodities, the answer might be looking at North American rail volumes in the third quarter. Grain is one obvious “winner.” U.S. grain volumes were up 27.8% in September and 25.5% in October, according to the Association of American Railroads, while Canadian Pacific (NYSE: CP) and CN (NYSE: CNI) reported record grain movements over the last several...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/q3-rail-recap-the-good-and-not-so-good

Commentary: Your railroad contingency plan?

The views expressed here are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of FreightWaves or its affiliates.

Now a third of the way into the fourth quarter, how is 2020 going to end up for the U.S. freight railroads?

It’s going to be a mixed bag.

There are plus and minus indicators as we look closely at the data year-to-date. 

Yes, third-quarter economic recovery has lifted railroad volumes back up — but not for every rail-moved business commodity segment.

Table 1 shows two...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/commentary-your-railroad-contingency-plan

Moody’s views US freight rail as ‘stable’ in 2021

A photograph of a Union Pacific train hauling intermodal containers.

Moody’s Investor Services has upgraded its outlook for the North American rail industry from negative to stable amid expectations that rail volumes will continue to grow in 2021.

Moody’s expects volumes for most types of freight to grow over the next 12 to 18 months, with intermodal shipments rising at “a mid-single-digit pace,” the bond credit rating firm said Friday.

That intermodal growth will be driven by several factors, including Moody’s expectations for consumer spending and currently low...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/moodys-views-us-freight-rail-as-stable-in-2021

Freight rail PACs contribute to Republicans and Democrats

A photograph of a train carrying intermodal containers.

Political action committees (PACs) that are related to the rail industry have donated $3.7 million during the 2020 election cycle to Republican and Democratic congressional candidates.

Of that total, 44%, or $1.6 million, was for Democratic candidates, while 56%, or $2.1 million, was for Republican candidates, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

The Center for Responsive Politics defines PACs as groups that are formed “for the purpose of raising and spending money to elect and defeat...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/freight-rail-pacs-contribute-to-republicans-and-democrats

Federal grants awarded to improve freight rail and multimodal traffic flows

A photograph of some railroad track.

Expanding local freight rail networks and facilitating multimodal access were among the goals of several projects that have been awarded competitive federal grants from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT).

The DOT awarded $1 billion overall to 77 projects in 44 states under the Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) transportation discretionary grants program.  

“This administration is making significant investments in infrastructure, and this $1 billion in BUILD...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/federal-grants-awarded-to-improve-freight-rail-and-multimodal-traffic-flows

+ More