Railroad News

CN will focus on improving velocity, finding customers where capacity available

CN is planning to tweak its operational plan to emphasize improving velocity and focus on finding customers in areas where there is available network capacity, executives said during the Canadian railway’s earnings call to discuss fourth-quarter 2022 financial results.

The adjustments come as CN (NYSE: CNI) is bracing for a mild recession in 2023.

The plan, which relies on “scheduled railroading,” also calls for trains to stay with a schedule and run the same schedule every day, regardless of...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/cn-will-focus-on-improving-velocity-finding-customers-where-capacity-available

UP vows to improve service, craft employees’ quality of life in 2023

To counter looming macroeconomic headwinds in 2023, Union Pacific aims to boost rail service, which will include looking at how to improve the quality of life of craft employees, according to executives speaking on UP’s fourth-quarter 2022 earnings call Tuesday.

It’s important to find a way that some craft employees, who are currently on call for a job with an unpredictable schedule, can have more predictability, UP President and CEO Lance Fritz told investors during the earnings call. 

“That’s...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/up-vows-to-improve-service-craft-employees-quality-of-life-in-2023

Midwest lawmakers call on regulators to halt Union Pacific embargoes

Eight members of Congress representing districts in Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin want the Surface Transportation Board to compel Union Pacific to lift weather-related embargoes in their states.

A Jan. 13 letter addressed to STB Chairman Marty Oberman asks the agency to “exercise its statutory oversight authority” and conduct a forum that would involve UP and affected rail shippers and result in UP lifting its embargoes.

UP placed a temporary embargo on operations in Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/midwest-lawmakers-call-on-regulators-to-halt-union-pacific-embargoes

BNSF to spend nearly $4B on capital improvements, maintenance

Western U.S. railroad BNSF plans to invest $3.96 billion in capital and maintenance projects in 2023.

The investments will help BNSF operate a safe and reliable network, the railroad said Thursday. BNSF is privately owned by Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK.B).

“Our capital plan reflects our growth mindset and commitment to having the capacity and equipment we need to support our customers,” BNSF President and CEO Katie Farmer said in a news release. “Continued investment in our network through our...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/bnsf-to-spend-nearly-4b-on-capital-improvements-maintenance

Future of Union Pacific program testing 1-person crews uncertain

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’); });

Union Pacific’s efforts to conduct a pilot program testing a one-person train crew configuration is...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/future-of-union-pacific-program-testing-1-person-crews-uncertain

SC Ports handled record cargo volumes last year

South Carolina Ports joins Georgia and Virginia in posting a record 2022, with the Port of Charleston handling the most containers ever in its history. The port complex handled nearly 2.8 million twenty-foot equivalent units in the calendar year, up 1.5% from 2021, the port said Thursday.

SC Ports also moved more than 1.5 million pier containers in the year, a figure that accounts for containers of any size. That is a 1% gain year over year.

“South Carolina’s excellent port team and maritime...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/sc-ports-handled-record-cargo-volumes-last-year

Port of Halifax enjoyed banner year in 2022

The Port of Halifax in Nova Scotia, Canada, is touting a new record of “crossing the 600,000 [twenty-foot equivalent units] annual throughput threshold for the first time.” 

Halifax, along with the Port of Saint John in New Brunswick, is jockeying with other eastern coastal ports along North America to process more volumes. Halifax has access to eastern Canada and the U.S. Midwest through Canadian railway CN (NYSE: CNI), including the cities of Montreal, Toronto and Chicago.

Halifax Port...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/port-of-halifax-enjoyed-banner-year-in-2022

Port of Virginia sees record volumes in 2022

Count the Port of Virginia as another East Coast port that saw record volumes in 2022.

The port, located in Norfolk, processed more than 3.7 million twenty-foot equivalent units last calendar year, a record for the port as well as a 5.1% increase compared with 2021.

The year-over-year growth came as other East Coast ports, such as the Port of Savannah in Georgia, also experienced record volumes for 2022. Traffic grew at East and Gulf Coast ports in 2022 amid labor-related concerns at the West...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/port-of-virginia-sees-record-volumes-in-2022

Tech company seeks to be Waze for trains

What if rail shippers could track not only the location of their rail cars but also the train that those rail cars are on and how that train performs on a certain line segment over time? 

That is the question industry consultant John Schmitter seeks to answer through the rail technology startup RailState, a Quincy, Massachusetts-headquartered data visibility provider. 

Shippers want to put more onto rail but “it isn’t just about comparing the rates from rail and truck. If you’re looking to make...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/tech-company-seeks-to-be-waze-for-trains

Rail intermodal to ‘struggle’ in 2023, consulting firm says

Consulting firm FTR Transportation Intelligence expects rail intermodal to face a tough year in 2023 amid weaker demand, a competitive truck market and a shift in U.S. port activity away from the West Coast to East and Gulf ports that utilize shorter inland hauls.

All of the rail intermodal segments — domestic and international — “are going to struggle” in 2023, said Todd Tranausky, FTR vice president for rail and intermodal, during a webinar last week.

Growth could happen in the fourth quarter...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/rail-intermodal-to-struggle-in-2023-consulting-firm-says

+ More