WASHINGTON — U.S. rail traffic showed a slight decline for the week ending Nov. 5, after having displayed a slight uptick the previous week, according to the latest figures from the Association of American Railroads. The total volume of 502,106 carloads and intermodal units represented a 0.4% decline compared to the corresponding week in 2021. That […]
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Class I railroads and the union representing maintenance of way employees today agreed to extend their cooling off period through at least Dec. 4, eliminating the prospect of a national strike or lockout this month. The prior cooling off period between the National Carriers Conference Committee and the Brotherhood of Maintenance […]
CHICAGO — J.B. Hunt executives see the potential for major growth with partner BNSF Railway next year thanks to rival Schneider shifting its intermodal business to Union Pacific. Schneider’s move to UP, effective Jan. 1, comes a year after another major truckload carrier, Knight-Swift, left BNSF for UP. “We have massive capacity becoming available to […]
CHICAGO – Union Pacific is running a small pilot program in Kansas that aims to bring more predictability to engineer schedules. The experiment comes as railroads have been having trouble retaining train crews and hiring new conductors at many locations across their systems — due in part to the unpredictable nature of the jobs. Ongoing […]
WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration has scheduled two online meetings as part of the public comment period for its environment assessment of the proposed Brightline West high speed rail line over Cajon Pass, released in late October. The meetings, to be held via Zoom on Saturday, Nov. 12, from 10 a.m. to noon PST […]
OMAHA, Neb. — BNSF Railway’s profits declined in the third quarter due to a combination of lower volume and higher operating expenses. The railway’s operating income fell 7.1%, to $2.1 billion, on revenue of $6.5 billion, a 16.8% increase, BNSF’s parent company, Berkshire Hathaway, reported on Saturday. Revenue rose due to higher fuel surcharge revenue […]
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Former Alaska Gov. Bill Sheffield, who was instrumental in the state’s purchase of the Alaska Railroad from the federal government and went on to serve as the railroad’s president, CEO, and board chairman, has died. Sheffield died on Nov. 4. He was 94. “There are just no words to encompass all that […]
NEW YORK — U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh, credited by unions with a key role in the tentative agreement that averted a railroad strike in September, says he expects Congress will act to block a possible strike later this month. Walsh made his comments on Friday to CNN, prior to the latest vote ratifying […]
WASHINGTON — Members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, who rejected an earlier agreement with railroads, have narrowly approved a new deal, the union announced Saturday. The union’s District 19, which represents 4,900 rail workers, said 52% of those voting approved the revised agreement with the National Carriers’ Conference Committee. That deal […]
KEYTESVILLE, Mo. — Arguments in federal court over an arbitration requirement included in Amtrak ticket purchases remain a sticking point in state court suits from June’s fatal derailment of the Southwest Chief near Mendon, Mo., KMBC-TV reports. In Thursday arguments in Chariton County Circuit Court, BNSF and Amtrak argued that passengers agreed to settle […]
ARLINGTON, Va. — Agricultural shippers have urged Congress to prevent a national railroad strike or lockout, which they said would have “devastating consequences to our national and global food security.” A railroad network shutdown would exacerbate agricultural shipping challenges, which include rail congestion on the big four U.S. systems, record low water levels that have […]
SAN CARLOS, Calif. — Michelle Bouchard, who has been acting executive director of Caltrain since April 2021, has been named as the commuter operator’s first permanent executive director. The Caltrain board of directors announced Bouchard’s unanimous appointment on Thursday, Nov. 3. “Michelle has been a dynamic and engaged leader for Caltrain,” Caltrain Board Chair Steve […]
