BNSF coal train derails in Iowa

Radio Iowa is reporting that a BNSF coal train derailed between 20 and 30 cars as it traveled through the southwest Iowa town of Red Oak. The derailment occurred at 4 a.m.

short line railroad

BNSF names Arizona & California Railroad ‘Shortline of the Year’

BNSF Railway Co. (BNSF) announced Arizona & California Railroad (ARZC) as its 2019 “Shortline of the Year” during its annual Shortline Conference.

Weekly rail traffic report from Association of American Railroads

The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending November 9, 2019. Total carloads for the week ending November 9 were 248,905 carloads, down 5.1 percent

Dow Jones Transportation Average hit by CSX and Norfolk Southern stock drops

MarketWatch reports that Norfolk Southern and CSX stocks dropped shortly after trading began Tuesday morning, which caused the Dow Jones Transportation Average to drop 12 points, or 0.1%. In contrast, the Dow Jones

Phoenix receives federal grant to lower tracks, eliminate at-grade crossings

Lowering tracks will help lift up the economy in the Phoenix area. That is the claim of U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao after the U.S. DOT handed Phoenix a $24 million federal

Canadian Pacific places five locomotives with military paint schemes in service

Canadian Pacific (CP) unveiled five specially painted locomotives on Remembrance Day in Canada and Veterans Day in the U.S. honouring the culture and history of the armed forces. The five Electro-Motive Diesel

Norfolk Southern has restored both mainlines impacted by Friday derailment

Norfolk Southern experienced a mainline crash and derailment on Friday afternoon, Nov. 8 in Luxor, Pa., approximately 40 miles east of Pittsburgh.

freight

Grain and feed association wants STB to take a firmer stance on Class 1 demurrage practices

The National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) would like to see the Surface Transportation Board (STB) make more of a statement regarding Class 1 demurrage and accessorial practices.

Bells & Whistles—Episode 16

What were the top news stories RT&S was following this week? Check out our latest Bells & Whistles.

Canadian Pacific meets with short line railroads and transload operators to determine ways to drive growth

[For two days in late October], Canadian Pacific brought together short line railroads and transload operators to nurture collaboration and develop efficient service offerings to customers, with the goal of fostering sustainable,

FRA

AFL-CIO Transportation Trades Department – PSR is gutting American freight rail system

The Transportation Trades Department of the AFL-CIO released a statement about its view of precision scheduled railroading and the impact it’s having on freight railroads in America. Below are some excerpts from

Canadian National’s grain crop year 2019-2020 starting strong

Record Month and Strong Results Despite Challenging Weather Canadian National announced that its Western Canadian grain movements broke another record in the month of October, with shipments of 2.8 million metric tonnes

rail bridge

Genesee & Wyoming North America reports drop in third-quarter net profit

FreightWaves is reporting that Genesee & Wyoming North America reported a small drop in Q3 2019 operating revenue compared to the same quarter last year. Genesee & Wyoming North America operating income,

Weekly Association of American Railroads rail traffic report

The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending November 2, 2019, as well as volumes for October 2019. U.S. railroads originated 1,224,477 carloads in October

Norfolk Southern lays off 95 workers at Altoona Shops

Tuesday, November 5, was not a happy day for 153 Norfolk Southern workers.  The railroad laid off 95 employees at the Juniata Locomotive Shop in Altoona, Pa., and 58 workers at the

Norfolk Southern

Fifty-eight furloughed at Norfolk Southern yard in Tenn.

Layoffs continue to be part of the equation for Class 1 railroad companies in the U.S. Norfolk Southern announced 58 workers have been furloughed in the DeButts yard in Chattanooga, Tenn. Norfolk

Georgia Power Company responds to RT&S story on GATX lawsuit

Last week, RT&S reported on its website news service that GATX Corporation, one of the world’s largest freight car and locomotive lessors, is suing the Georgia Power Company, a subsidiary of Southern Company,

Bells & Whistles—Episode 15: A visit with a short-liner

This week’s episode of Bells & Whistles features RT&S Editor-in-Chief Bill Wilson’s recent visit with the California Northern Railroad Co.

Alberta to allow more crude-by-rail shipments

The government of Alberta, Canada announced today that starting in December, production limits on companies that produce oil will be raised, but any additional production must go by rail instead of pipelines.

AAR traffic report for week ending October 26, 2019

The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending October 26, 2019. For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 513,147 carloads and intermodal units,

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