rail employment

US Class I rail headcount up in April — but still down

A railroad worker stands in a rail yard.

Employment levels at the U.S. operations of the Class I railroads in April were up slightly from March but down 7% year-over-year, according to data submitted to the Surface Transportation Board.

U.S. Class I railroads operating in the U.S. employed 115,485 employees in April, up 0.42% from March but down 7.19% from April 2020. On a year-to-date basis, April’s headcount total is the highest among the first four months of 2021.

Rising headcount levels on a sequential basis in 2021 reflect efforts...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/us-class-i-rail-headcount-up-in-april-but-still-down

Technology’s long, and likely continuing, impact on freight rail headcount

A photograph of a man standing in front of a parked train locomotive.

The freight railroads’ industrywide deployment of technology has been a key factor in headcount fluctuations throughout the decades. 

But technology’s impact on the number of employees working for the U.S. freight railroads in the future could depend on the railroads’ balance sheet goals or on federal or state intervention, according to industry observers.

Historical link between technological advancements and headcount

Headcount levels typically reflect market demand for rail service, with higher...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/technologys-long-and-likely-continuing-impact-on-freight-rail-headcount

US Class I rail headcount sinks to near decade low

A photograph of a man working in a rail yard.

The number of employees working for the U.S. operations of the Class I railroads in January fell to its lowest level in years, according to data received by the Surface Transportation Board.

U.S. Class I railroad operations had 113,461 employees working in their ranks in January, an 11.6% drop from January 2020 and a 3.7% decline from December. This total is the lowest since January 2012, the earliest date for which FreightWaves has data. January’s total also beat October 2020’s low of 114,960...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/us-class-i-rail-headcount-sinks-to-near-decade-low

US Class I rail headcount tumbles 14% in 2020

A photograph of a Union Pacific train.

The U.S. operations of the Class I railroads employed the fewest number of employees in 2020 since at least 2012.

Headcount at U.S. Class I rail operations totaled 120,492 employees last year, a 14% decrease compared with 140,185 employees in 2019, according to data that companies provided to the Surface Transportation Board (STB). This annual average was the lowest since at least 2012, the earliest year that FreightWaves has data available. 

Within that total, headcount for train and engine...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/us-class-i-rail-headcount-tumbles-14-in-2020

Class I rail headcount plunges to new low in November

A photograph of a train crossing over a bridge. The train is hauling intermodal containers.

Employee headcount among the U.S. operations of the Class I railroads in November was at its lowest level since at least early 2012.

U.S. operations of the Class I railroads employed 114,960 in mid-November, which is 13.7% lower than November 2019 and 1.58% lower than October, according to data submitted to the Surface Transportation Board. 

November’s total is the lowest in 2020 and the lowest total since January 2012, which is the earliest date for which FreightWaves has data.

All six employee...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/class-i-rail-headcount-plunges-to-new-low-in-november

Shippers, unions, railroads take sides at Senate hearing

A photograph of a train traveling through a desert.

The debate about how much oversight Congress and the Surface Transportation Board (STB) should have regarding freight rail operations and rates took center stage at a hearing before the Senate Commerce Committee last week.

At one corner was the Association of American Railroads (AAR), which represents the Class I railroads operating in the U.S. and argues that the status quo enables the railroads to make the millions needed to maintain, invest and expand the nation’s freight rail network. At the...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/shippers-unions-railroads-take-sides-at-senate-hearing

BNSF lays off employees in Topeka

A photograph of a BNSF train traveling through a field.

Western U.S. railroad BNSF (NYSE: BRK) is reducing headcount by 104 employees at its locomotive shop in Topeka, Kansas.

The company, which is privately owned by Berkshire Hathaway, said the decision comes amid an overall volume loss caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the softening economy and declining energy sector activity in particular.

“Due to lower freight volumes and a significant reduction in locomotives and railcars required on our network, BNSF Railway has made the difficult decision to...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/bnsf-lays-off-employees-in-topeka

Wabtec to reduce headcount as rail industry copes with lower volumes

A photograph of a locomotive traveling through a desert field.

Wabtec (NYSE: WAB) plans to let go of 150 employees at its facility in Erie, Pennsylvania, amid ongoing rail volume softness exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The headcount reduction comes as the Surface Transportation Board (STB) released data this week that showed that employment levels within the U.S. operations of the Class I railroads fell 13.7% in September year-over-year (see below).

Wabtec, a rail equipment and technology provider, said the reduction was made “to align with today’s...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/wabtec-to-reduce-headcount-as-rail-industry-copes-with-lower-volumes

Union Pacific confirms layoffs

A photograph of a Union Pacific train.

Union Pacific (NYSE: UNP) confirmed that it has laid off employees across its network, although it didn’t provide details about how many were laid off and where.

The railroad attributed the “workforce reduction” to its broader efforts to implement precision scheduled railroading, an operational model that seeks to streamline operations. Union Pacific (UP) said the reduction affected both management and unionized employees across its 23-state system. 

“These are difficult decisions; however, we...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/union-pacific-confirms-layoffs

US Class I rail headcount rises for the first time since April

A photograph of two locomotives parked in a field.

Employment levels at the U.S. operations of the Class I railroads rose in July on a monthly sequential basis, increasing nearly 1% from June.

The number of employees totaled 117,230 in mid-July, up 0.95% from June, according to data received by the Surface Transportation Board (STB). The last time that employee headcount rose was between March and April of this year.

A 5.3% gain in the number of train and engine (T&E) crew employed by the railroads helped push July’s total higher. T&E crews...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/us-class-i-rail-headcount-rises-for-the-first-time-since-april

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