Gulf Coast

Mississippi River shipping faces potential crisis for third straight year

Shipping along the Mississippi River could prove to be a massive headache in 2024, per a recent report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

An unusually warm and dry winter — which allowed the Upper Mississippi River shipping season to begin earlier than usual this year — might herald drought conditions in key areas of the Mississippi River Basin over the coming months.

“Of growing concern will be the potentially low flows on the Mississippi River this summer into fall due to...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/mississippi-river-shipping-faces-potential-crisis-for-third-straight-year

Threat of strike looms large over East, Gulf Coast ports

There’s an increasing abundance of skittishness surrounding the future of East and Gulf Coast ports.

The labor contract between the International Longshoremen’s Association and the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) is set to expire at the end of September. The ILA represents some 70,000 dockworkers, while the USMX represents employers at 36 coastal ports — including three of the U.S.’s five busiest ports: the Port of New York and New Jersey, the Port of Savannah, Georgia, and the Port of...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/threat-of-strike-looms-large-over-east-gulf-coast-ports

USGC Coal Ship Departures Slow Amid Low Mississippi Levels: cFlow, USGS

Credit: Coral-sul

Gulf Coast coal ship departures plummeted 57.1% to just six ships due to low Mississippi River levels, impacting St. Louis loading and coal prices, with Egypt, Panama, and Japan as top destinations.

Mississippi River

The Mississippi River at Baton Rouge, at 5.8 feet above sea level on Sept. 12, matched levels from when Ingram Barge Company declared force majeure in 2022. Low water levels can narrow the river, posing challenges for tanker traffic and causing barges to get stuck on...

https://mfame.guru/usgc-coal-ship-departures-slow-amid-low-mississippi-levels-cflow-usgs/

Tropical Storm Idalia forecast to become major hurricane

Tropical Storm Idalia is gaining strength and is expected to become a major hurricane before making landfall on the Florida Gulf Coast later this week.

As of 5 a.m. EDT Monday, Idalia was located about 90 miles south of the western tip of Cuba and was moving north at 8 miles per hour. 

The storm currently has maximum sustained winds of 65 mph.

The National Hurricane Center warned that as Idalia moves across warmer waters in the Gulf, it will rapidly intensify over the next 24 to 48 hours. 

Idalia...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/tropical-storm-idalia-forecast-to-become-major-hurricane

Stakeholders reach potential settlement on Gulf Coast Amtrak service

Some level of Amtrak passenger rail service could be established on the Gulf Coast, based on a recent filing submitted to the Surface Transportation Board.

In a joint filing Monday, Amtrak, CSX (NASDAQ: CSX), Norfolk Southern (NYSE: NSC) and the Alabama State Port Authority asked the board to hold off on a Nov. 30 hearing on Amtrak’s plans to restore Gulf Coast service between Mobile, Alabama, and New Orleans because the parties have a potential settlement within sight.

The parties also asked STB...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/stakeholders-reach-potential-settlement-on-gulf-coast-amtrak-service

CSX, NS and port push to keep Amtrak proceeding on track

Deliberations at the Surface Transportation Board over whether Amtrak should be allowed to reestablish Gulf Coast service between Mobile, Alabama, and New Orleans are still ongoing, and all the parties appear to be holding fast to their convictions over the best way to address Amtrak’s request.

On one side, Amtrak says the board should grant its request to run two daily trains between New Orleans and Mobile. Amtrak previously offered service along the Gulf Coast, but that service stopped in the...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/csx-ns-and-port-push-to-keep-amtrak-proceeding-on-track

Regulators to conduct hearing on CP’s plan to merge with KCS

A photograph of two locomotives. One is from Canadian Pacific and the other is from Kansas City Southern.

The Surface Transportation Board will conduct a three-day hearing in September on the proposed merger between Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern in order to speak directly with the railways, as well as any other interested parties, about issues that have arisen during the proceeding.

“I have strongly favored public hearings in our proceedings, which not only allow the board members to deeply explore the issues with our stakeholders but also advance transparency into our decision-making,”...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/regulators-to-conduct-hearing-on-cps-plan-to-merge-with-kcs

CSX, NS share confidential data with Amtrak, enter mediation

The Surface Transportation Board is allowing select Amtrak staff to review “highly confidential” market and operations information from CSX and Norfolk Southern so it can respond to questions raised during a proceeding on its request to restore Gulf Coast passenger rail service. 

The STB is also ordering board-sponsored mediation for all parties. 

Amtrak wants to run two round trips per day on CSX- and NS-owned tracks and infrastructure between New Orleans and Mobile, Alabama, and it wants STB to...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/csx-ns-share-confidential-data-with-amtrak-enter-mediation

19 storms forecast to develop this hurricane season

For the third year in a row, forecasters with the Colorado State University tropical weather and climate research group are calling for a busy hurricane season.

They said we’re likely to see above-average numbers of hurricanes, major hurricanes (Category 3 or stronger) and total named storms (hurricanes plus tropical storms) in the Atlantic basin, which includes the western Atlantic, the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico.

Related: Disaster relief nonprofits fighting supply shortfalls

The potential...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/19-storms-forecast-to-develop-this-hurricane-season

Federal hearing on Amtrak’s planned Gulf Coast service powers on

The evidentiary hearing that the Surface Transportation Board is conducting this week on Amtrak’s request to restore Gulf Coast service between Mobile, Alabama, and New Orleans appears poised to stretch beyond its original two-day schedule as the board and witnesses wrangle over what is and isn’t within the board’s jurisdiction.

Amtrak is seeking to reestablish service between the two Gulf Coast cities after service was stopped in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Amtrak wants to run...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/federal-hearing-on-amtraks-planned-gulf-coast-service-powers-on

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