US Senator urges CSX to reconsider operating changes in Cleveland

Train under signal bridge coming out of setting sun

CLEVELAND – Ohio’s Democratic Senator urges CSX to reconsider its decision to reduce its crew base at Collinwood Yard in Cleveland and reassign workers to terminals at Willard, Ohio, and Buffalo, N.Y., saying the decision is bad for railroaders and operations. U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, in a letter to CSX President and CEO Joseph Hinrichs, […]

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CPKC names Arturo Gutiérrez Hernández to board

Man in suit with red tie

CALGARY — Canadian Pacific Kansas City names Arturo Gutiérrez Hernández to board of directors, effective Nov. 1, 2024.   Mr. Gutiérrez, 58, of Monterrey, Mexico, has been the chief executive officer of Arca Continental, the second largest Coca-Cola bottler in Latin America, since January 2019.   “The addition of Arturo adds to the extensive, diverse […]

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Alstom lawsuit challenges waivers approved by FRA for Brightline West’s trainset order: Analysis

Shell for passenger train car under construction inside factory

WASHINGTON — Its offer rejected in a years-long competitive bidding process, an Alstom lawsuit challenges waivers for the construction of new Brightline West equipment. The Federal Railroad Administration approved waivers of the “100% Buy America” provisions granted to winning bidder Siemens. Brightline West selected Siemens over Alstom to build 186-mph Las Vegas-Southern California trainsets by […]

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Rail Champions campaign promotes individual rail advocacy

Blue-and-green logo for Rail Champions campaign

WASHINGTON — GoRail’s Rail Champions campaign brings together individuals across the nation who believe rail is essential for reasons from congestion and emissions mitigation to how railroads power local economies, serve consumers, and relieve taxpayers. Railroads matter deeply to Americans, whether they realize it or not, as they reduce costs for families, free up space […]

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Indiana port adds rail capacity, eyes container traffic

The Ports of Indiana-Burns Harbor has dedicated $25 million to infrastructure upgrades, including two new railyards and the port’s first all-new dock in two decades. “Today marks a historic day for this region, our workers and this port,” Ports of Indiana CEO Jody Peacock said in a statement yesterday. “This is the first new dock […]

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Regulators scrutinize trends on second day of rail growth hearings

WASHINGTON – At the opening of today’s Surface Transportation Board hearing on the lack of rail freight volume growth, Vice Chair Karen Hedlund said she was still struck by what she heard the day before from analysts and shippers and Class I railroad executives. “What we heard yesterday was a tale of two cities. And […]

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CSX rolls out Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis heritage locomotive

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The 19th heritage locomotive in the CSX fleet is No. 1851, a tribute to predecessor railroad Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis. CEO Joe Hinrichs unveiled the locomotive today in a post on LinkedIn, as has been customary. “The NC&StL railroad was founded in 1845 and was acquired in a hostile takeover by […]

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Report shows link between manifest train length and derailments caused by train makeup and handling issues

WASHINGTON – Long manifest trains are more likely to derail than their shorter counterparts due to excessive in-train forces – and the number of wrecks related to train makeup and handling issues has increased sharply since U.S. railroads adopted Precision Scheduled Railroading operating models that rely on ever-longer trains, according to a National Academies of […]

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Hearing focuses on turning around the rail industry’s growth problem

WASHINGTON – The first day of the Surface Transportation Board’s unprecedented hearing focusing on growth in the rail industry – or, more precisely, the lack of it – allowed the Class I railroads to tout their successes. But the rail executives had to wait for an analyst panel that outlined the breadth and depth of […]

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Analysis: What a work stoppage at East, Gulf coast ports means for CSX, NS

Yellow-and-blue diesel locomotive with containers on curve

  Class I railroads’ intermodal volumes have been strong this year, but the growing threat of an East Coast ports work stoppage risks upending supply chains just as the freight industry was normalizing.   East Coast Class I railroads CSX and Norfolk Southern are keeping an eye on the potential for a widespread strike at […]

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CN blames unplanned CPKC trackwork for June congestion in Directional Running Zone

Train with red and black locomotives crosses cruved trestle

When Canadian National reported disappointing second quarter results in July – partly due to congestion related to trackwork in the Directional Running Zone it shares with Canadian Pacific Kansas City in British Columbia – executives were vague on why some of the maintenance of way work in the country’s most important corridor was unplanned. At […]

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Updated Grafton & Upton paint scheme introduced

Black-and-orange diesel locomotive with freight train displays updated Grafton & Upton paint scheme

  NORTH GRAFTON, Mass. — The Grafton & Upton paint scheme has been yellow and black ever since its first diesels – two General Electric 44-tonners – arrived on the property in 1946. Those colors carried over to an Alco S4 switcher, and earlier in this century on an eclectic roster of older EMD road-switchers […]

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