Not what it seems

Diesel locomotives push behind a caboose on a freight train by a signal

Not what it seems A Clinchfield “Shifter South” crawls out of Elkhorn City yard away from the camera and across Pool Point at the north end of the Breaks of the Big Sandy in 1964. The three-unit pusher will stay with the train to Towers, Va., where the grade begins to ease. Ron Flanary photo […]

Read More…

CP and CN take steps to limit intermodal terminal bottlenecks

Blue locomotive leading container train

WASHINGTON — Canadian Pacific and Canadian National have taken steps to limit congestion at their U.S. intermodal terminals as shippers have been slow to pick up containers due to the impact of the pandemic. The Canadian railways outlined their responses in letters to Surface Transportation Board Chairman Martin J. Oberman, who on July 22 requested information […]

Read More…

Germany hit by two-day rail strike

High speed trains at station platform

BERLIN — Much of Germany’s rail system has been shut down by a two-day strike expected to leave only about a quarter of the nation’s long-distance trains in operation Wednesday and Thursday. The Associated Press reports national operator Deutsche Bahn is asking passengers to avoid unnecessary travel and will suspend COVID-19 related restrictions, allowing every […]

Read More…

Rail groups praise Senate passage of infrastructure bill

Trains Washington Watch logo

WASHINGTON — The Senate’s passage of a $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill drew praise from a variety of rail observers and other interested parties Tuesday. The bill includes $66 billion for rail-related spending, including $58 billion for Amtrak. Amtrak board chairman Tony Coscia said in a statement that the bill represents more than just this country’s […]

Read More…

Norfolk Southern ESG report highlights environmental, social efforts

Norfolk Southern logo

NORFOLK, Va. — The company’s first issuance of green bonds and plans to address greenhouse gas emissions highlight Norfolk Southern’s Environmental, Social, and Governance Report, the new name for its 14th annual corporate responsibility report. “From environmental stewardship to the safety and development of our entire team, we are in the business of a better […]

Read More…

Analysis: Union Pacific bridge repairs show how railroads get the job done

Bridge and cranes at sunset

Independent analyst Anthony B. Hatch is fond of saying that one of freight railroads’ enduring advantages is owning and maintaining their own infrastructure. Nothing could drive that point home better than the repair blitz that Union Pacific launched after its 1,200-foot Dry Canyon Bridge sustained heavy damage from a wildfire. The 150-foot-tall span in Hotlum, […]

Read More…

Canadian Pacific sweetens offer for KCS, cites regulatory risk of CN-KCS merger (second update)

Logos for Canadian National, Canadian Pacific, and Kansas City Southern

CALGARY, Alberta — Canadian Pacific on Tuesday sweetened its offer for Kansas City Southern in the hopes that regulatory uncertainty would unravel Canadian National’s merger agreement with KCS. CP boosted its bid by $2 billion, which values KCS at $300 per share. That’s $25 per share higher than CP’s previous offer but still $25 below […]

Read More…

Report: Canadian Pacific to raise bid for Kansas City Southern (updated)

Canadian Pacific Railway beaver logo

CALGARY, Alberta — Is Canadian Pacific preparing a higher offer for Kansas City Southern? The Wall Street Journal is reporting (paywalled) that CP’s board met today to authorize a new offer worth about $300 per share. That’s up about $25 from CP’s final offer to KCS, but still short of Canadian National’s offer that’s valued […]

Read More…

BNSF train derails in North Dakota

BNSF Railway logo

BISMARCK, N.D. — Approximately 15 cars of a BNSF coal train derailed Sunday afternoon in Bismarck, KX TV news reports. No injuries were reported. Bismarck police and fire and the Burleigh County Sheriff’s responded to the incident just outside the southeast border of the city limits. The derailment initially blocked one roadway, Yegen Road, but […]

Read More…

BNSF Railway’s quarterly earnings improve as volume returns

Two locomotives pulling train in large vista of open spaces

FORT WORTH, Texas – BNSF Railway’s second-quarter earnings improved as volume and revenue surged compared to a year ago, when the onset of the pandemic led to historic traffic declines. BNSF’s operating income rose 32.5%, to $2 billion, as revenue increased 26%, to $5.6 billion, the railroad’s parent company, Berkshire Hathaway, reported on Saturday. The […]

Read More…

Shareholder advisory firm says KCS investors should back CN deal

Canadian National and Kansas City Southern logos

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A shareholder advisory firm has recommended that Kansas City Southern investors approve Canadian National’s $33.6 billion offer to acquire the company. Institutional Shareholder Services, in a report issued Friday, said that the “premium, valuation, and strategic rationale for the transaction are compelling.” KCS shareholders are scheduled to vote on the deal […]

Read More…

County officials accept donation to fund Palestine, Texas, suit against

Union Pacific logo with Building America slogan

PALESTINE, Texas — County officials have accepted a donation of more than $14,000 for the court case seeking to keep Union Pacific from closing its car shop in Palestine, per an agreement that originated more than a century ago. The Palestine Herald-Press reports the Anderson County Commissioners Court has accepted $14,500 raised by an online […]

Read More…