Canadian National Railway announced today that western Canadian grain movement during June exceeded 2.3 million metric tons (MMT), compared to the three year average of 1.80 MMT and June 2018’s result of
Railway Interchange, the largest exhibition and technical conference in North America, today announced that Simmons-Boardman Rail Group, publisher of Railway Age, Railway Track & Structures (RT&S) and International Railway Journal (IRJ), is
Pandrol, a company focused on manufacturing rail fastenings, has been awarded a new contract with Eesti Raudtee (Estonia Railways) to supply more than 430,000 FASTCLIP FE fastening systems (four per tie) for
A new report from Oxford Economics has found that the railway supply industry’s total contribution to U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) in 2017 was $74.2 billion, which highlights the industry’s significant economic
Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) and its shortline and regional railroad connections gathered during the weekend to discuss ways to move the North American supply chain forward.
Organizers for Railway Interchange, North America’s largest railway industry exhibition and technical conference, report that the 2017 event, held in Indianapolis Sept. 17-20, posted total registered attendance of 8,150, with a record-breaking 738 exhibitors. There were 1,099 international attendees and 108 international exhibitors representing 46 countries.
The New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) appointed Sally Librera, to vice president and chief officer of the Staten Island Railway (SIR).
Rep. Mike Quigley (D-IL-5) joined representatives from the Illinois rail industry for a public policy discussion and a tour of Industry-Railway Suppliers, Inc., (IRS) at its Elmhurst, Ill., headquarters on April 10.
The New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) opened its new Staten Island Railway (SIR) Arthur Kill station Jan. 21, marking its first addition to the line in two decades.
The League of Railway Industry Women (LRIW) released the agenda for its annual conference, which will be held in conjunction with Railway Interchange 2015, taking place October 4-7 in Minneapolis, Minn.
Railway Interchange 2015 host associations say they are gearing up for the biggest event to-date. With four months to go before the event, indoor and outdoor exhibition space is sold out and 60 percent of available hotel rooms have been reserved.
Canadian National will invest CA$20-million (US$-16 million) in the expansion of its cold supply chain capacity to help producers and distributors of chilled or frozen foods grow their businesses in 20 North American and overseas markets.
Simmons-Boardman Rail Group, which consists of Railway Age, Railway Track & Structures (RT&S) and International Railway Journal (IRJ), has been awarded the event guide contract and emedia partner for Railway Interchange 2015.
BNSF has named Utah Railway as the 2014 Shortline of the Year. Utah Railway operates about 423 miles along the heavily-populated Wasatch Front Corridor, serving a wide variety of customers with growing volumes in Utah.
G Seven Generations Ltd. is proposing a new railway to carry oil from the Alberta, Ontario oil sands to the existing marine oil terminal at Valdez, Alaska. The company revealed its proposal at the International Indigenous Summit on Energy and Mining in Niagara Falls, Ontario.
"Studies have already demonstrated that a rail link to Alaska is a viable alternative to the oil pipelines currently being planned through British Columbia," said G7G Director Matt Vickers. "This approach is timely because it promises significant economic benefits while avoiding many of the environmental risks associated with current pipeline proposals."
"Diversifying markets for Canadian oil is an important challenge, but we need to achieve this goal in the most environmentally and socially responsible way possible," continued Vickers.
G7G’s rail link proposal would use the existing marine oil terminal in Valdez, which is facing a declining supply of oil from Alaska’s North Slope.
One option of the proposed 2,000+ kilometer-long railway (1,243+ miles) would run northwest from Fort McMurray, Alberta to join the Alyeska Pipeline (part of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System, which carries oil to the Valdez oil terminal) at Delta Junction, Alaska. The project’s first phase is estimated to cost C$12 billion (US$12.4 billion) or more.
"British Columbians’ opposition to oil tanker traffic on B.C.’s north coast is very strong and should not fall on deaf ears," G7G wrote in a statement. "Valdez has seen oil tanker traffic since the 1970s and this proposal would simply mean replacing the declining supply of Alaska crude with a new supply of Alberta crude. We believe this approach has a greater chance of obtaining social license from local communities than other competing scenarios."
Over the coming months, G7G will be working to complete the project’s feasibility study, business plan and First Nations consultation. Its directors are currently seeking support for the project from national and international aboriginal organizations.
Axion International has received an order to supply $250,000 worth of its proprietary Recycled Structural Composite crossties to Dallas Area Rapid Transit for use in the Trinity Railway Express that connects Dallas and Fort Worth.
Axion is servicing the contract through Herzog Transit Services, which operates the TRE line. As part of the initial order, Axion will deliver approximately $250,000 worth of its RSC crossties to replace traditional wood ties. Axion’s ties will be utilized on a two-mile long bridge called the Beltline Overpass.
The Government of Canada recently responded to the Rail Freight Service Review, which was launched in 2008 to address ongoing issues with rail freight service, raised by users of the rail supply chain.
"Our government is focused on the economy. By launching the Rail Freight Service Review, our government made a commitment to help ensure Canada has the rail system it needs to support a strong economy and our domestic and international trade," said Rob Merrifield, Minister of State (Transport). "Today we are following through on that promise with measures to enhance the effectiveness, efficiency and reliability of the entire rail freight supply chain."
The review was conducted in two phases. The first phase comprised analytical work to achieve a better understanding of the nature and extent of problems and best practices within the supply chain, including those experienced by shippers, terminal operators, ports and vessel operators, with a focus on railway performance. An independent panel, chaired by Walter Paszkowski, led the second phase, which included extensive consultations with stakeholders across the supply chain. The panel’s final report was also made public.
The government intends to implement the following steps to improve the performance of the entire rail supply chain:
• initiate a six-month facilitation process with shippers, railways and other stakeholders to negotiate a template service agreement and streamlined commercial dispute resolution process;
• table a bill to give shippers the right to a service agreement to support the commercial measures;
• establish a Commodity Supply Chain Table, involving supply chain partners that ship commodities by rail, to address logistical concerns and develop performance metrics to improve competitiveness;
• in collaboration with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Transport Canada will lead an in-depth analysis of the grain supply chain to focus on issues that affect that sector and help identify potential solutions.
"The Rail Freight Service Review has been a very important undertaking for Canada’s rail system, involving close consultation with key stakeholders," said Minister Merrifield.
Canadian Pacific commended Canada’s government for recognizing that commercial principles are the key to improving the overall performance of Canada’s world-class supply chain, but cautioned that additional regulation for relationships outside of commercial agreements is completely unwarranted.
"Isolating the rail sector will not produce the desired results," said President and Chief Executive Officer Fred Green.
To offer an independent assessment of the state of regulation relating to Canadian railway service, the government commissioned third-party research, which confirmed that the current regulatory regime for rail in Canada is robust and is superior to other frameworks reviewed.
"I recognize the government is addressing the weaknesses in the Panel’s findings by taking steps to encourage even further improvement across the entire supply chain," said Green. "While the report suggests negotiated commercial principles are preferred, I am concerned about the application of some of the recommendations involving regulation. The devil will be in the details. We will work with government to ensure equitable accountability is achieved throughout the supply chain and fosters further gains in service reliability."
BNSF Railway has launched a collaborative online Supply Chain Forum aimed at encouraging understanding, participation and discussion about the important infrastructure and supply chain issues facing the United States. The site features a new video outlining the benefits of a strong supply chain, how it works and the challenges the U.S. faces to maintain and improve its supply chain advantages.
The U.S. supply chain involves the entire transportation and distribution infrastructure used to deliver all of the materials the U.S. consumes and produces. Thanks to the size of its freight rail, highway, water, pipeline and air infrastructure, the U.S. has long enjoyed a competitive advantage with some of the world’s lowest supply chain costs as a percentage of GDP compared to Europe or China. This supply chain cost advantage has helped create more wage headroom for U.S. workers.
However, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, the U.S. population is expected to exceed 370 million by the year 2030. With supply chain capacity largely filled, these increases promise growing strains on our infrastructure.
The forum can be found at online at www.KeepAmericaInMotion.org, and followed on Twitter at @AmericaInMotion.
