Bells & Whistles—1/17/20
Seattle lawmakers want to make cap on car tab fees a state law. Environmental group calls BNSF derailment a major disaster. Congress now reviewing Act on crude oil by rail. State Attorney
Class 1
Kansas City Southern reports strong fourth quarter and full-year 2019 results
Kansas City Southern (KCS) (NYSE:KSU) reported strong fourth quarter and full year 2019 results, driven by implementation of Precision Scheduled Railroading (PSR) principles. Fourth Quarter 2019 Fourth quarter revenues were $729.5 million,
CSX Announces fourth quarter and full year 2019 financial results
CSX Corporation yesterday announced fourth quarter 2019 net earnings of $771 million, or $0.99 per share, versus $843 million, or $1.01 per share in the same period last year. CSX’s operating ratio
Environmental group calls BNSF derailment on Jan. 1 a major disaster
While some are claiming a derailment in Idaho on New Year’s Day was a heroic event, one environmental group believes there is a villain at play.
Savage named CEO at Trinity Industries
Beginning Feb. 17, E. Jean Savage, who currently serves on the Trinity Board and is a Caterpillar vice president, will become Chief Executive Officer at Trinity Industries, according to a report in
AAR releases traffic report for week ending January 11, 2020
The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending January 11, 2020.
Transportation Research Board panel discusses future of rail
The Transportation Research Board (TRB) conference is being held in Washington, D.C. this week, and one of the panels, “The Future of North American Freight Rail Transportation,” focused on the role of
Kentucky coal miners block CSX train because they haven’t been paid
The Lexington Herald-Ledger reports that a group of coal miners, all employees of Quest Energy (a subsidiary of American Resources Corporation, or ARC) are blocking a coal train from leaving a mine
Crude-by-rail safety bill introduced in U.S. House of Representatives
FreightWaves is reporting that Rep. John Garamendi (D-Calif.) introduced the Crude by Rail Volatility Standard Act (H.R. 5553) yesterday. He was joined by four co-sponsors, all Democrats – Reps. Bill Foster of
Attorneys General skittish about moving LNG by rail
WJZ 13 CBS Baltimore is reporting that fifteen states are opposed to the proposed shipment of LNG (liquified natural gas, or methane) by rail, and are making their position known through their
AHSI: Big Data for better asset health
The railroad industry estimates that advances in fault detection technology are preventing more than 700 road failures monthly on the North American system, based on 2019 preliminary statistics. Among the efforts to
Canadian National and NorFalco sign Sulfuric Acid agreement
CN and NorFalco Sales, a division of Glencore Canada Corporation, announced they have signed a new multi-year agreement that will provide freight transportation of Sulphuric Acid from NorFalco’s rail served productions facilities
Railroads accused of price-fixing ask for lawsuits to be moved to one court
RT&S has been reporting on alleged price fixing by four Class I railroads – BNSF, Union Pacific, Norfolk Southern and CSX. Our most recent story can be found here and our first story
Norfolk Southern intermodal facility may be a bust for West Virginia
During the excitement and anticipation associated with Norfolk Southern’s Heartland Corridor project, a new intermodal facility was opened in Wayne County, West Virginia, just to the west of Charleston. The Charleston Gazette-Mail
Train robberies in Mexico up 13% in Q3 2019
Freightwaves is reporting that Mexican officials disagree on whether train robberies rose or fell during Q3 2019. According to Mexico’s Transport Regulatory Agency (ARTF), train robberies grew 13 percent in the third
Canadian Pacific sets record quarter for Canadian grain movements
Canadian Pacific moved more Canadian grain and grain products in 2019’s final quarter than any prior quarter in the company’s history. Shipping totals came in at 7.9 million metric tonnes (MMT) of
More Norfolk Southern layoffs
Roanoke’s WSET ABC 13 News is reporting that Norfolk Southern laid off almost 70 employees in Roanoke yesterday morning. This follows a layoff of 130 in September, and 45 in April.
Did a 2-ft piece of rail cause a Canadian Pacific derailment in Iowa?
Federal officials are still investigating the cause of a Canadian Pacific derailment on Friday, Jan. 3, in LeClaire, Iowa. However, all one has to do is listen to the words of a
More shipper accusations of railroad price fixing
Back in December, RT&S reported that Toyota Motor Sales USA, Inc., along with other shippers, accused the major U.S. railroads of price fixing, with a focus on fuel surcharges. To read that story,
Sheriff deputies rescue BNSF crew
ABC FOX Montana is reporting that a BNSF train derailed near Bonners Ferry in Idaho, which is in the extreme northern part of the state, less than 50 miles from the Canadian