Class I railroads watch for Hurricane Zeta impacts

A photograph of a train passing by a rail crossing.

The Class I railroads with a presence in the U.S. Gulf Coast are monitoring how Hurricane Zeta will affect rail operations.

Service disruptions could occur as a result of the storm, they said in service advisories Tuesday and Wednesday, and the railroads will assess their networks for post-storm damage.

Zeta made landfall Wednesday as a Category 2 hurricane with sustained winds of around 110 mph, FreightWaves reported early Thursday. It was the strongest hurricane to hit the continental U.S. this...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/class-i-railroads-watch-for-hurricane-zeta-impacts

Freight railroads monitor Hurricane Delta’s path in Gulf

A Kansas City Southern train travels past a city.

The U.S. Class I railroads with operations in the Gulf Coast region are preparing for potential service disruptions when Hurricane Delta makes landfall later this week.

“Precautionary actions are being taken to protect infrastructure and rail equipment is being repositioned away from low-lying areas around New Orleans,” Norfolk Southern (NYSE: NSC) said in a Wednesday operations update. “Norfolk Southern is working with customers located in the forecasted region to identify switching needs and...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/freight-railroads-monitor-hurricane-deltas-path-in-gulf

Breaking News: FMCSA waives HOS rules as Sally nears Gulf Coast

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) Southern Service Center declared an emergency in response to Hurricane Sally and is issuing a temporary exemption to certain hours-of-service (HOS) regulations.

Issued late Tuesday, the exemption applies to Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi. It covers parts 390 through 399 of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSR), except as otherwise restricted in the declaration. In addition to HOS, it includes inspection and maintenance...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/breaking-news-fmcsa-waives-hos-rules-as-sally-nears-gulf-coast

US Class I railroads prepare for Hurricane Sally

A photograph of a train passing by a rail crossing.

Several U.S. Class I railroad operations are preparing to safeguard their networks ahead of Hurricane Sally’s anticipated landfall on Tuesday.

The National Hurricane Center on Monday morning issued a hurricane warning for Morgan City, Louisiana, to the Alabama/Florida border. 

The hurricane warning also was in effect for Lake Pontchartrain and Lake Maurepas in Louisiana, as well as metro New Orleans. A hurricane warning means that hurricane conditions are expected somewhere within the warning...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/us-class-i-railroads-prepare-for-hurricane-sally

Employee pleads guilty to stealing $7M from marine cargo company

An employee responsible for overseeing the finances of a U.S. Gulf Coast shipping company specializing in heavy-lift cargo pleaded guilty to embezzling over $7 million and making false statements on a federal income tax return.

Deepak “Jack” Jagtiani, who had been the comptroller of Metairie, Louisiana-based Dan-Gulf Shipping, admitted guilt in federal court Tuesday to both counts of an indictment filed against him in December.

Jagtiani, 60, admitted he used his authority to pay himself excessive...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/employee-pleads-guilty-to-stealing-7m-from-marine-cargo-company

Class I railroads brace for tropical storms Marco and Laura

A photograph of a Union Pacific train behind a train of tank cars. They are at a rail yard.

Class I railroads with operations along the U.S. Gulf Coast are bracing for potential impacts from tropical storms Marco and Laura.

The timing of the storms’ approach to the Gulf Coast states is packing a one-two punch for area ports and transportation providers. Another concern is flooding as the storms travel northward. Marco is expected to make landfall Monday night, while Laura is forecast to hit on Wednesday and into Thursday. 

“Our command center has been activated to monitor the storms...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/class-i-railroads-brace-for-tropical-storms-marco-and-laura

Freight railroads, Port of New Orleans brace for Cristobal

A photograph of a cranes unloading containers from an ocean vessel.

Freight transportation companies on the U.S. Gulf Coast are preparing for potential operational impacts brought on by Tropical Storm Cristobal.

The storm is expected to make landfall on the Louisiana coast sometime early Sunday evening, June 7, although the Gulf Coast states might start experiencing tropical storm-force winds and heavy rains late tonight, June 6, according to a 10 a.m. CDT advisory by the National Hurricane Center. The times are subject to change. Residents should brace for...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/freight-railroads-port-of-new-orleans-brace-for-cristobal

U.S. Gulf Coast To Become Net Oil Exporting Region

  • The U.S. Gulf Coast is set to become a net crude oil exporting region for the first time on a quarterly basis.
  • This signals a shift in global oil flows with VLCC patterns of trade all set to change.
  • During the first 11 weeks of 2019, the total number of VLCCs loading at the Gulf Coast increased to 53.
  • The average daily amount of crude flowing out of the U.S. at 3.6 million barrels.
  • There are 48.5 million barrels of U.S. crude traveling east on 23 VLCCs and three Suezmax tankers.

According to...

http://mfame.guru/u-s-gulf-coast-to-become-net-oil-exporting-region/