China Increases Express Freight Trains
CHINA –– New timetable from April 10 adds 148 freight services each day.
Freight
Saudi Arabian Railways Extends Service Network
SAUDI ARABIA –– Five new logistics corridors are offering improved freight transport from Arabian Gulf ports.
Saudi Arabian Railways offers alternative to the Strait of Hormuz
SAUDI ARABIA –– Trains will transport up to 400 containers on the new 1700km route connecting Arabian Gulf Ports with Jordan.
AutoHaul Drives Efficiencies at Rio Tinto in Australia
PILBARA REGION OF WESTERN AUSTRAILIA –– Rio Tinto currently operates up to 53 fully autonomous (GoA4) trains simultaneously, each made up of 240 wagons, across its 2,000 km rail network.
Photo Credit: Rio Tinto
Railroads Can Do It Right – Editor’s Commentary
ATLANTA –– Concerns and complaints about railroad customer service have circulated for years. Many times, those comments are just not right. This is one of them.
Ohio Rail Development Commission Announces Five New Projects to Improve Safety and Upgrade Rail Lines
COLUMBUS, Ohio ––The Ohio Rail Development Commission (Rail Commission) announced this week that five Ohio rail projects will move forward thanks to a mix of federal, state, local, and private funding.
RailPulse Launches Signature Railcar Telematics Platform
CARY, N.C. — PR Newswire reported that RailPulse, formed by a coalition of rail industry leaders, announced this week the launch of its new technology infrastructure that provides near real-time data and insights across the North American freight railcar fleet. The platform leverages GPS and other telematics technologies to monitor the location, condition and health of railcars, aiming to enhance safety, efficiency and visibility for rail shippers, railroads and railcar owners.
Indiana Rail Road launches intermodal expansion
Indiana Rail Road is expanding its intermodal capacity.
Bipartisan infrastructure deal negotiations are hot and heavy in the Senate
The July/August Senate session will focus on a bipartisan infrastructure bill that Democrats hope to pass in the fall.
Canadian Pacific suffers derailment on Friday, resulting in liquid asphalt leak
A Canadian Pacific train derailed last Friday.
CSX slapped by OSHA for whistleblower retaliation
CSX fired a worker in 2019 for reporting safety concerns. OSHA took CSX to the wood shed.
Why are there more grade crossing accidents in Canada during the winter than the rest of the year?
Winter in Canada sees more rail/highway grade crossing accidents during the winter than during any other season of the year.
Additional CN capex announcements: C$460 million in British Columbia and C$120 million in Saskatchewan
CN continued announcements this week with capex plans for its lines in British Columbia (C$460 million) and Saskatchewan (C$120 million).
Canadian National continues capex announcements with work in Quebec and Nova Scotia
Canadian National continues to provide detail on capex spending.
Canadian National announces more capex: C$445 million in Alberta and C$15 million in New Brunswick
Canadian National has announced more capital spending on the roadway.
Canadian National announces capex plans for lines in Ontario and Manitoba
Canadian National announced capital investments of C$350 million in Ontario and C$95 million in Manitoba.
NTSB completes documentation of derailed tank cars
Even though this accident was caused by a derailment, we are stepping outside of our normal coverage zone by featuring this NTSB report on tank car structural integrity because it has received so much attention over the past few years. NTSB did not determine probable cause for the derailment and did not publish a brief or report.
Watco strengthens its Louisiana network
Watco continues to grow its network of short line railroads.
NTSB concludes that failure to adhere to restricted speed requirements caused fatal Arizona train collision
The National Transportation Safety Board has issued its final report on the Kingman, Arizona BNSF train collision in 2018.
Ana Maria Ruiz Jimenez joins HNTB’s national tunnel and underground team as principal engineer
Ana Maria Ruiz Jimenez, Ph.D., joined HNTB Corporation’s national tunnel practice as principal engineer and associate vice president.