News Wire Digest Third Section for Friday, March 20 NEWSWIRE

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More Friday rail news: — VIA Rail Canada has announced further service cuts because of the coronavirus pandemic, extending suspensions of the Montreal-Halifax Ocean, Toronto-Vancouver Canadian, and Jasper-Prince Rupert service until at least May 1, the CBC reports. Montreal-Senneterre and Montreal-Jonquiere, Quebec, trains will be reduced to one round trip per week, as will Sudbury-White […]

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Forecasters predict economic fallout of coronavirus will bring rail traffic slump NEWSWIRE

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An eastbound BNSF intermodal train rolls through Western Springs, Ill., on March 7, 2020. A lull in international intermodal traffic is expected to last another four to six weeks. TRAINS: David Lassen Railroad traffic is expected to take a hit from the economic fallout surrounding the coronavirus pandemic. International intermodal volumes have declined since China […]

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US carload and container shipments decline more than 7% NEWSWIRE

U.S. Rail Traffic1 Week 11, 2020 – Ended March 14, 2020 This Week Year-To-Date Cars vs 2019 Cumulative Avg/wk2 vs 2019 Total Carloads 226,039 -5.9% 2,549,159 231,742 -6.2% Chemicals 33,012 3.6% 360,417 32,765 2.9% Coal 55,542 -23.0% 716,466 65,133 -18.1% Farm Products excl. Grain, and Food 15,854 1.6% 174,000 15,818 2.0% Forest Products 9,842 -1.7% 107,399 9,764 -2.9% Grain 19,911 6.9% 217,778 19,798 -6.5% Metallic Ores and Metals 19,975 -4.7% 228,660 20,787 0.1% Motor Vehicles and Parts 19,104 6.6% 175,314 15,938 -0.4% Nonmetallic Minerals 30,254 -7.5% 316,940 28,813 -5.6% Petroleum and Petroleum Products 13,294 9.6% 145,168 13,197 5.4% Other 9,251 12.4% 107,017 9,729 6.6% Total Intermodal Units 236,978 -9.1% 2,712,444 246,586 -7.8% Total Traffic 463,017 -7.6% 5,261,603 478,328 -7.0% 1 Excludes U.S. operations of Canadian Pacific, CN and GMXT. 2 Average per week figures may not sum to totals as a result of independent rounding.

Association of American Railroads WASHINGTON — The Association of American Railroads today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending March 14, 2020. For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 463,017 carloads and intermodal units, down 7.6% compared with the same week last year. Total carloads for the week ending March 14 were […]

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WRI 2020 postponed; now set for Aug. 31-Sept. 3 NEWSWIRE

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VANCOUVER, British Columbia — In light of the coronavirus situation, Wheel Rail Interaction 2020, scheduled for April 28-May 1 in Vancouver, has been rescheduled to Aug. 31-Sept. 3, presenter Wheel Rail Seminars has announced. Trains Magazine is the presenting sponsor for the event, which will remain at its original site, the Hyatt Regency Vancouver. Those […]

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Class I railroads update pandemic response (updated) NEWSWIRE

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Class I railroads have been updating customers on their response to the COVID-19 outbreak, with four offering information through their company websites. Here’s the most recent information: — Norfolk Southern, in a March 14 note from Alan Shaw, executive vice president and chief marketing officer, said it is allowing remote work for employees whose jobs […]

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AAR: US railroad intermodal traffic dives more than 14 percent for the week ended March 7 NEWSWIRE

U.S. Rail Traffic1 Week 10, 2020 – Ended March 7, 2020 This Week Year-To-Date Cars vs 2019 Cumulative Avg/wk2 vs 2019 Total Carloads 229,742 -3.5% 2,323,120 232,312 -6.2% Chemicals 33,419 6.5% 327,405 32,741 2.9% Coal 58,659 -23.4% 660,924 66,092 -17.6% Farm Products excl. Grain, and Food 16,404 6.0% 158,146 15,815 2.0% Forest Products 9,839 2.5% 97,557 9,756 -3.0% Grain 20,863 9.0% 197,867 19,787 -7.7% Metallic Ores and Metals 19,672 -1.0% 208,685 20,869 0.6% Motor Vehicles and Parts 18,149 8.1% 156,210 15,621 -1.2% Nonmetallic Minerals 30,385 0.5% 286,686 28,669 -5.4% Petroleum and Petroleum Products 12,641 18.6% 131,874 13,187 4.9% Other 9,711 16.8% 97,766 9,777 6.1% Total Intermodal Units 232,561 -14.1% 2,475,466 247,547 -7.7% Total Traffic 462,303 -9.1% 4,798,586 479,859 -7.0%

Association of American Railroads WASHINGTON — The Association of American Railroads today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending March 7, 2020. For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 462,303 carloads and intermodal units, down 9.1% compared with the same week last year. Total carloads for the week ending March 7 were […]

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Rail executives expect international intermodal volume to fall because of virus NEWSWIRE

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A Pacific Harbor Line train works at the Port of Los Angeles in January 2018. Traffic at the port was down significantly in February, and railroad officials anticipate a significant decrease in international intermodal traffic, because of the coronavirus. TRAINS: David Lassen NEW YORK – The full impact of the global coronavirus epidemic will soon […]

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News Wire Digest third section for Friday, March 6 NEWSWIRE

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A Metra Milwaukee North train arrives in Deerfield, Ill., on Oct. 27, 2019. Deerfield is one of the partners with Metra in a reverse-commute pilot program on the Milwaukee North line. TRAINS: David Lassen Still more rail news for a busy Friday: — Metra’s reverse-commute pilot program on its Milwaukee District North line is exceeding […]

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Railroaders ascend Capitol Hill for Railroad Day NEWSWIRE

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WASHINGTON – Today, 450 railroad industry employees will knock on 330 doors on Capitol Hill, exercising their first Amendment right to petition their government and tell their story. The annual gathering of freight rail professionals, known as Railroad Day on Capitol Hill, was first held nearly twenty years ago. The gathering is unique as it […]

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US railroad traffic drops, again, for the week ending Feb. 29, 2020 NEWSWIRE

US Rail Traffic for the week ending Feb. 29

Association of American Railroads WASHINGTON — The Association of American Railroads today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending Feb. 29, 2020, as well as volumes for February 2020. U.S. railroads originated 927,084 carloads in February 2020, down 7.3%, or 73,058 carloads, from February 2019. U.S. railroads also originated 997,683 containers and trailers in […]

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Union Pacific reports mixed on-time performance results NEWSWIRE

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UP performance numbers presented this week at a conference in Florida. Union Pacific GRANDE LAKES, Fla. – Union Pacific’s intermodal on-time performance improved in January, but the reliability of the railroad’s merchandise and automotive traffic deteriorated, partly due to the impact of the idling of the hump at Davidson Yard in Fort Worth, Texas. For the […]

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Canadian government, indigenous groups reach tentative deal on pipeline protest NEWSWIRE

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Government officials and an indigenous group in British Columbia have reached a tentative deal on a gas pipeline, the subject of protests which led to blockades of rail lines across Canada. While one blockade remains in place, Canadian National has begun recalling workers laid off during the protests, while VIA Rail Canada expects to restore […]

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