Digest: UP opens new Twin Cities intermodal terminal, will launch service to LA

Union Pacific logo

Friday afternoon rail freight and logistics news: UP opens Minneapolis intermodal terminal, will launch service to LA Union Pacific will begin offering intermodal service to Minneapolis-St. Paul in January 2021 following today’s opening of its Twin Cities Intermodal Terminal in Minneapolis. The new service will feature domestic intermodal service between the Twin Cities and Los […]

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Freight trains of the New York, Ontario & Western Railway

Steam locomotive with freight train on deck-truss bridge

Enjoy this freight trains photo gallery of the NYO&W, the November 2020 Railroad of the Month   Freight trains Freight trains are the focus of this week’s Classic Trains’ salute to the New York, Ontario & Western Railway. The NYO&W is Classic Trains’ Railroad of the Month for November 2020. You might also enjoy an article […]

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CSX and CN expect strong intermodal traffic to continue into 2021

CSX No. 3190 pulling an intermodal train

CSX Transportation and Canadian National see strong intermodal volumes continuing through March as retailers across North America look to replenish their inventories. Intermodal traffic, which tanked along with the rest of rail volume at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, has bounced back faster than carload volumes and is currently running ahead of last year’s […]

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AAR statistics show intermodal continuing to lift US rail traffic

chart showing U.S. rail traffic for the week ending November 7, 2020

WASHINGTON — Intermodal traffic continues to lift overall rail traffic above year-earlier levels in weekly statistics from the Association of American Railroads, with total volume for the week ending Nov. 7, 2020, up 1.3% over the same week in 2019. Weekly intermodal volume was 293,746 containers and trailers, up 10.3% from the same week a […]

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Biden administration policies expected to affect freight railroading

train and cloudy sky

WASHINGTON — President-elect Joe Biden may be known as “Amtrak Joe,” but his administration is expected to have an impact on freight railroading, too. During his campaign for the White House, Biden pledged to require two-person crews on freight trains. Rail labor unions have sought a two-person crew regulation as Class I railroads have implemented […]

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Digest: NS coal train derails in Illinois

aerial photograph of train cars derailed

More Monday morning rail news: NS coal train derails in Illinois
 Twenty-four cars of a Norfolk Southern coal train derailed in Panama, Ill., Sunday morning, according to a Facebook post by the Chris-Mont Emergency Management Agency. A press release from the agency says the Shoal Creek Fire Protection District was dispatched to the derailment at […]

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Digest: Canada revises cold-weather rules for hazardous-material trains

Transport Canada logo

Monday morning rail news: 

Canada revises rules on cold-weather speed restrictions for hazardous-material trains Canada’s Minister of Transport on Friday issued an order modifying previous rules regarding train operation in cold weather, basing the new rule on temperatures rather than a winter date range. As with the previous rule, issued in April [see “Canada issues […]

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CN, CP auto volumes to benefit from GM, Ford Canada announcements

OSHAWA, Ontario – In a move that will benefit Canadian National and Canadian Pacific, General Motors Canada announced on Thursday that it planned to reopen its assembly plant in Oshawa. The plant, which stopped building pickup trucks in December, will reopen in January 2022, GM said in announcing a tentative deal with Unifor, which represents […]

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Norfolk Southern slims down to six divisions

NORFOLK, Va. – Norfolk Southern has reduced its number of operating divisions to six from nine, continuing an industry trend toward larger divisional territories. The move was effective Nov. 1, Chief Operating Officer Cindy Sanborn wrote in a memo to employees. The Southern Region, which previously included the Alabama, Georgia, and Piedmont divisions, is now […]

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CN, CP auto volumes to benefit from GM, Ford Canada announcements

OSHAWA, Ontario – In a move that will benefit Canadian National and Canadian Pacific, General Motors Canada announced on Thursday that it planned to reopen its assembly plant in Oshawa. The plant, which stopped building pickup trucks in December, will reopen in January 2022, GM said in announcing a tentative deal with Unifor, which represents […]

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Digest: Evacuation lifted around KCS derailment as cleanup continues

Tuesday morning rail news: Evacuation lifted around KCS derailment; cleanup continues The remaining evacuation area around last week’s Kansas City Southern derailment in Mauriceville, Texas, was lifted Monday night, and local elementary and middle schools will return to class today. KBMT-TV reports that only three houses had remained inside the evacuation area before two railcars of hazardous […]

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