AAR: Cold weather, economic uncertainty, and trade tensions depressed carload traffic in February in the US NEWSWIRE

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Association of American Railroads Association of American Railroads WASHINGTON — The Association of American Railroads today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending March 2, as well as volumes for February 2019. U.S. railroads originated 999,978 carloads in February 2019, down 2.7 percent, or 28,238 carloads, from February 2018. U.S. railroads also originated 1,094,499 […]

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CSX Transportation CEO says service improvements will bring traffic back to the railroad NEWSWIRE

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NEW YORK — Railroads can only regain traffic lost to the highway if they can provide dependable, trucklike service, CSX Transportation CEO Jim Foote says. A typical carload customer — be it plastics, chemicals, paper, or lumber — might send only 60 percent of its business via rail, while the rest goes by truck, Foote […]

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CSX and Maryland seek federal funding for Howard Street Tunnel clearance project

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BALTIMORE — CSX Transportation CEO James Foote on Monday joined Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan in officially seeking federal funding for the $466 million Howard Street Tunnel clearance project. Hogan’s office announced that it submitted an application for a U.S. Department of Transportation grant that would fund raising clearances in the tunnel to permit double-stacks to […]

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KCS eyes smaller locomotive fleet under shift to Precision Scheduled Railroading NEWSWIRE

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Kansas City Southern ORLANDO, Fla. — Kansas City Southern will be able to park at least 10 percent of its locomotive fleet as it moves tonnage on longer trains under its shift to Precision Scheduled Railroading. KCS rostered 1,100 locomotives at the end of 2018 and has identified 75 older units that will be stored, […]

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Winter weather wallops operations on Donner Pass NEWSWIRE

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The SPMW 222 at Crystal Lake, Calif., about 15 minutes before its bearings failed. S.R. Bush TRUCKEE, Calif. – Winter on Donner Pass is only at the halfway mark but already is proving one to be remembered. November and December were mild, but in January things began to shift the pace and strength of storms […]

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AAR: Traffic returning to growth mode for the week of Feb. 23 NEWSWIRE

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Association of American Railroads Association of American Railroads WASHINGTON — The Association of American Railroads reported this week on U.S. rail traffic for the week ending Feb. 23. For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 522,630 carloads and intermodal units, down 1.1 percent compared with the same week last year. Total carloads for […]

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Class I average operating ratio inched upward in 2018 NEWSWIRE

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Bill Stephens/ Class I railroad data Bill Stephens/ Class I railroad data The Class I railroad average operating ratio rose slightly in 2018 — the first increase in a decade — as congestion-related costs and an accounting rules change pushed the closely watched efficiency metric up at four of the seven big systems. CSX Transportation […]

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CP’s Creel applauds industry’s move toward Precision Scheduled Railroading NEWSWIRE

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Canadian Pacific CEO Keith Creel Canadian Pacific MIAMI — Canadian Pacific CEO Keith Creel is cheering the industry’s embrace of the Precision Scheduled Railroad operating model touted by his mentor, the late E. Hunter Harrison. “I want them all to do it … I think it’s the right way to run the business,” Creel told […]

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Railroads seek legislative relief following fatal grade crossing collision, derailment NEWSWIRE

NEW YORK – Commuter railroads are looking to Albany for help with expenses following grade crossing incidents. That includes a fatal grade crossing strike and subsequent derailment involving two trains in Westbury, in Nassau County on Long Island, on Tuesday evening. “Costs that should be borne by others are being borne by us currently,” Long […]

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Union Pacific taps surge fleet, more crews amid harsh weather and derailments NEWSWIRE

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OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific has pulled 107 locomotives from its surge fleet and added 300 train and engine crews in response to harsh winter weather and derailments that gummed up its system over the past month. “I want to make it clear that the setbacks we’ve experienced are not due to the implementation of […]

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BNSF Railway’s revenue, profits up for 2018 as industrial products shipments surge NEWSWIRE

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FORT WORTH, Texas — BNSF Railway’s revenue and profits were up in 2018, with industrial products revenue and volume leading the way. BNSF’s annual operating income increased 9 percent, to $6.9 billion, on revenue of $23.9 billion, an increase of 12 percent, the railroad’s parent, Berkshire Hathaway, reported on Saturday and BNSF reported in its […]

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Oklahoma moves forward on bill to fine railroads blocking crossings NEWSWIRE

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. — The Oklahoma House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved House Bill 2472, a Republican-backed measure to allow law enforcement to fine railroads up to $10,000 for blocking grade crossings for more than 10 minutes. The bill, which enjoys large bi-partisan support, passed by a vote of 92-5, and will now move forward to […]

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