Rail

Friday, May 11, 2012

   The federal government is easing rules requiring railroads to install positive train control (PTC) equipment, saving the industry hundreds of millions of dollars.    The Department of Transportation said under the revisions announced Thursday railroads will no longer have to conduct risk analyses to obtain approval to not install PTC or take other costly risk mitigation measures on an estimated 10,000 miles of track that will not carry passenger trains or toxic-by-inhalation (TIH) ...

Wednesday, May 09, 2012

   Domestic intermodal volumes continued their upward climb in the first quarter of 2012, according to the latest figures from the Intermodal Association of North America.    Domestic volumes soared 14.9 percent in the quarter, to nearly 1.3 million containers. IANA attributed the rise to market share growth from trucking, “as trucking capacity was tight during the quarter and diesel prices resumed their rise after softening in Q4 2011."    International intermodal volume r...

Tuesday, May 08, 2012

   The intermodal and logistics company Pacer International said it has entered a multiyear agreement to have CSX remain its primary rail carrier in the eastern United States.    It said together with existing agreements between Pacer and CSX, the new deal provides terms of service for shipments in Pacer’s private fleet of more than 18,000 containers.    Dan Avramovich, Pacer’s chief executive officer, said the new agreement would provide the foundation for Pacer ...

Thursday, May 03, 2012

   Norfolk Southern has broken ground on an intermodal hub for transferring containers between trains and trucks in Charlotte, N.C.    The Charlotte Regional Intermodal Facility is located at the Charlotte Douglas International Airport and will be capable of handling 200,000 lifts per year. It will replace the railroad's existing intermodal facility in downtown Charlotte.    "Charlotte is a key hub on the Norfolk Southern intermodal system and on our Crescent...

Thursday, May 03, 2012

   BNSF Railway has launched a new interactive map highlighting events and activities along its 32,000-mile rail network.    Visitors to the Website can click on markers containing links to news updates, community projects, photos and videos of BNSF trains in action, along with historical information.    The map, found at http://map.friendsofbnsf.com/railways , is powered by the Google Maps engine and gives users a bird's-eye view of the entire network, while allowing ...

Tuesday, May 01, 2012

   Genesee & Wyoming Inc. (GWI) reported net income in the first quarter of 2012 of $22.2 million, compared with net income of $22.1 million in the first quarter of 2011.    GWI owns and operates short line and regional freight railroads and provides railcar switching services in the United States, Australia, Canada, the Netherlands and Belgium.    The railroad company had revenue of $207.4 million in the first quarter of 2012, compared to $191.9 million in th...

Monday, April 30, 2012

   Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, worried that planning for a rail intermodal center to support more port-related cargo and economic growth is taking longer than anticipated, on Friday asked CSX Transportation to consider a site within city limits instead of suburban locations that face political opposition or excessive development costs.    The freight railroad wants to build an intermodal container transfer facility (ICTF) south of the city to combine international ...

Friday, April 27, 2012

Maersk operation tailored to balance U.S. import and export international container volumes.     By Francis Phillips          Beginning early March Maersk Line launched a premium transpacific eastbound service called Flagship.    It offers weekly day of availability connections between 15 ports in Asia and five inland destinations in the United States, including Chicago, Houston, Dallas/Fort Worth, Memphis, and Northwest Ohio. The inland r...

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

   U.S. intermodal container rail traffic rose 4.5 percent year-on-year in the first quarter of 2012, according to the latest figures from the Association of American Railroads Time Indicators Report .    Volume reached 2.5 million containers in the January-March period, though the growth dipped slightly in March, to 3.5 percent, on volume of 928,350 containers.    The AAR said March was the 28th consecutive year-on-year monthly increase for intermodal rail traffic. The ave...

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

   Kansas City Southern said it had a profit of $75.3 million in the first quarter, 17 percent more than the $64.1 million earned by the railroad in the first quarter of 2011.    Revenues were $548 million in the first quarter, 12 percent more than the $489 million recorded in the first quarter of 2011.    By segment, KCS said first quarter revenue growth, compared to 2011, was led by both a 26 percent increase in intermodal and a 21 percent boost in aut...

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

   For the first quarter of 2012, Norfolk Southern reported net income of $410 million, 26 percent higher than the $325 million for the first quarter of 2011.    First-quarter 2011 results included a $58 million non-cash charge that reduced the railroad's net income by $36 million, or $0.10 per diluted share.    Compared to the first quarter of 2011, railway operating revenues improved 6 percent to $2.8 billion in the first quarter of 2012, primarily based on...

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

   Canadian National Railway said it had a profit of $775 million in the first quarter, 16 percent more than the $668 million in the first quarter of 2011.    Revenue in the first quarter was $2.35 billion, up 13 percent from $2.08 billion in the same 2011 period.    Claude Mongeau, president and chief executive officer, said the company benefited from a milder winter and improving economic conditions, but that “CN’s commitment to operational and se...

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

   RailAmerica has appointed Gary Lewis to senior vice president and chief commercial officer.    Lewis, who joined the company in 2009, was previously vice president of industrial development. Before coming to RailAmerica, he was director of sales and marketing at Kinder Morgan Terminals, and prior to that, he served in various management roles during 18 years at CSX Transportation.    RailAmerica owns and operates 44 short-line and regional freight railroads in North Amer...

Monday, April 23, 2012

   Canadian Pacific Railway said Friday it had a profit of $142 million in the first quarter of 2012, more than triple the $34 million it earned in the same 2011 period.    Revenue was $1.38 billion in the first quarter of the current year, 18 percent more than in the same 2011 period.    The company said freight revenue was up in all segments of its business, except sulfur and fertilizers which were down 2 percent to $126 million.    The other segme...

Friday, April 20, 2012

   FESCO North West Europe said Friday it has appointed Mundo International Logistics as its U.K. agent.    The deal allows FESCO to package its container services from Russia and the CIS nations through associated rail and road transport services.    FESCO North West Europe is part of the FESCO Transportation Group and offers a weekly service from all main U.K. ports to St.Petersburg, Vladivostok, Vostochny, Kholmsk, Korsakov, Magadan, and Pertropavlovsk Kamch.

Friday, April 20, 2012

   Union Pacific reported first quarter profit of $863 million, 35 percent more than the $639 million it earned in the same same 2011 period.    Revenue was $4.8 billion in the first quarter of 2012, 14 percent more than in the first quarter of 2011.    The railroad said first quarter business volumes, as measured by total revenue carloads, grew 1 percent versus 2011. Four of UP's six business groups - automotive, industrial products, chemicals and intermodal...

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

   Two large intermodal projects to better connect the Port of Tampa with road and rail networks are making good progress and will benefit freight shippers such as American Honda Motor Co., which recently began using the port as an import gateway.    Construction of an on-dock rail facility to handle 100-car unit trains of ethanol from the Midwest is scheduled to be completed by the fall, according to the Tampa Port Authority. The multipurpose rail terminal can also serve the ad...

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

   CSX said it had a profit of $449 million in the first quarter of 2012, 14 percent more than the $395 million earned by the railroad in the same 2011 period.    Revenue was $2.97 billion, up 6 percent from the $2.81 billion recorded in the first quarter of 2011 and driven by increased volume, pricing gains and fuel recovery.    Overall volume was up 1 percent in the quarter when compared to the same period last year. Increased shipments in merchandise ...

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

   Five leaders in the transportation industry will be inducted into the International Maritime Hall of Fame next month.    They are Wei Jiafu, chairman of the Chinese shipping conglomerate Cosco Group; Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, chairman of the terminal company DP World; Joseph C. Curto, president of the New York Shipping Association; Spyros Polemis, the chairman of the International Chamber of Shipping and chairman and managing director of Seacrest Shipping Co.; and Matthew K. Rose, ...

Monday, April 09, 2012

   U.S. railroads moved 5.8 percent fewer new carloads in March compared to a year ago, but intermodal volume increased 3.5 percent to 928,350 containers and trailers, the Association of American Railroads reported Thursday.    Intermodal traffic grew for the 28th consecutive month.    The decline of 69,190 carloads to 1,123,298 was led by coal. Shippers also moved less grain, chemicals, nonmetallic minerals and farm products last month than in March 2011. Twe...

Monday, April 09, 2012

   Greenbrier Cos., the Lake Oswego, Ore.-based railcar and barge manufacturer, said it had a profit of $17.7 million in its second fiscal quarter ending Feb. 29, compared to a $550,000 loss in the same period a year earlier.    Revenue was $458.2 million, compared to $284.3 million in the second quarter last year.    William A. Furman, president and chief executive officer, said "manufacturing orders increased during the second quarter and remained robust during t...

Friday, April 06, 2012

  U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said overwhelming requests for so-called TIGER grants reflect the need for increased infrastructure funding.   "It's clear that communities across America can't afford to wait any longer to get started," LaHood said. "At a time when gas prices are high, it's more important than ever that we invest in projects that will relieve congestion, improve the safety of our transportation systems, and provide Americans with affordable, efficient optio...

Wednesday, April 04, 2012

   Rail Logistics-Cold Train will use a dedicated fleet of trucks from Interstate Distributor Co. for short-haul drayage service to and from the Port of Quincy Intermodal Terminal in central Washington.    In early 2010, Rail Logistics launched its Cold Train reefer service between the Pacific Northwest and the Chicago area in partnership with Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway and the Port of Quincy    Cold Train said the service has grown in popularity and that the partn...

Wednesday, April 04, 2012

   Canadian National this week said it has stated a new steel-wheel-interchange service with CSX over Chicago.    Prior to the agreement, CN and CSX exchanged container traffic in Chicago by truck, instead of directly between railroads.    CN said the service gives container imports moving over CN's network from the ports of Vancouver and Prince Rupert, B.C., efficient access to key Ohio Valley markets.    Jean-Jacques Ruest, CN executive vice-president and chief ...

Friday, March 30, 2012

   A trade association for the U.S. domestic shipping industry is expressing concern that a recent government report severely underestimates the size of the Jones Act's tank vessel fleet and its ability to transport petroleum products from the U.S. Gulf to the East Coast to make up for lost production as a result of East Coast refineries shutting down.    The Jones Act requires products moving between two points in the United States to be transported on vessels built and registe...

Friday, March 30, 2012

   ChemLogix, a provider of chemical industry transportation management, technology, and supply chain consulting services, has launched a new module for its transportation management service (TMS) geared to rail fleet oversight.    To do this, ChemLogix has partnered with GeoMetrix and adding that company’s rail logistics guidance technology to its TMS. GeoMetrix's software adds intra-plant management, distribution planning, maintenance, and lease management support to its exist...

Friday, March 23, 2012

   Canadian National Railway said it will buy 161 high-horsepower locomotives to accommodate anticipated traffic growth and to improve efficiency.     Sixty five units will be new and 96 will be second-hand.    CN will take delivery of new ES44AC locomotives from GE Transportation in 2013-2014, and 30 new SD70ACe locomotives from Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD). The GE units have 4,400 and the SD70ACe units 4,300 horsepower.    Keith Creel, ex...

Monday, March 19, 2012

   Union Pacific has appointed Eric L. Butler to executive vice president for marketing and sales.    Butler succeeds Jack Koraleski, who was recently appointed acting president and chief executive officer while Chairman Jim Young is on medical leave. He has nearly 26 years of experience with the railroad, most recently serving as vice president and general manager for industrial products.    Succeeding Butler as head of industrial products is Bradley A. Thrasher, who ...

Friday, March 16, 2012

   Canadian Pacific Railway said it has reached a multi-year agreement with Unimin Corp. of New Canaan, Conn., for the movement of fracking sand from Unimin's new facility in Tunnel City, Wis., to North Dakota, Texas, Colorado and elsewhere.    CP will become the exclusive railroad at the facility which is slated to open in 2013 and will produce 2 million tons of fracking sand annually.    Fracking sand is used in hydraulic fracturing of oil and gas wells. It is p...

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

   Canadian National Railway said Tuesday it has introduced new import/export container train services between the Port of Prince Rupert in British Columbia and Calgary in Alberta.     The railroad will also start service to Edmonton in June.    "Alberta is one of the fastest growing industrial and consumer based economies in North America and has a fast increasing need for efficient supply chains, the railroad said.    CN said it will rel...

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

   California's Port of Stockton has added 5,825 feet of new track in a public-private partnership with Union Pacific Railroad and Metro Ports.    The $1.2 million addition to the east port interchange tracks forms a loop that will allow inbound and outbound trains to operate without interfering with operations at the port's east complex.    The improvement will enable the port to receive an additional three bulk cargo unit trains with export iron o...

Friday, March 09, 2012

   Australian Rail Track Corp. (ARTC), the government-owned operator of Australia’s freight rail network, has begun replacing its older communications systems used on 704 privately owned trains in hopes to remove a hinderance to interstate shipping.    The new system, based on Telstra’s Next G network, will unify the six UHF and VHF radios that were previously used by trains to communicate with control centers in each state. The unified radios will meet all the different technol...

Tuesday, March 06, 2012

   In a similar vein to its Daily Maersk product on the Asia-Europe trade, Maersk Line has launced a "Flagship" intermodal product, in conjunction with the BNSF Railway, to support three of its weekly transpacific shipping services in the highly competitive corridor between Asia and Los Angeles.      From Los Angeles, Maersk will offer non-stop rail service arriving at an agreed time in five key Midwest and southern destinations, including Chicago, Dallas, Ho...

Monday, March 05, 2012

   Florida East Coast Railway has appointed Andrew Westhoff as vice president of sales and marketing.    Westhoff has an extensive railroad background and was with CSX Transportation for over 20 years in various finance and commercial roles. His most recent position was director of yield management for intermodal. Prior to joining CSX, he was with the accounting firm of Ernst & Young.

Friday, March 02, 2012

   Union Pacific Corp. said James Young, chairman, president and chief executive officer, will take medical leave for pancreatic cancer treatment.    He will remain chairman during his treatment.    John J. Koraleski, executive vice president marketing and sales, will serve as acting president and CEO of the railroad during Young’s absence.

Thursday, March 01, 2012

   A group representing U.S. shipping companies is expressing concern that if President Obama allows the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) to be tapped that the oil industry may once again try to move much of the oil using foreign vessels.    American Maritime Partnership (AMP), a broad-based coalition representing U.S.-flag vessel operators, maritime unions, and allied interests, says "release of oil from the SPR in 2011 resulted in nearly 50 waivers of the Jones Act, allowing ...

Friday, February 24, 2012

   New York State's Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) said Thursday it will modify ballast water treatment rules that shipping executives said were unachievable with current technology.    Had the standards gone into effect next year as originally scheduled, advocates for the industry said ships calling the Port of New York and New Jersey or using the St. Lawrence Seaway would have been subject to fines and citizen lawsuits even though they would not have been able ...

Thursday, February 23, 2012

     The U.S. Transportation Department has awarded a $54.6 million loan to Kansas City Southern Railway Co. to buy 30 new General Electric ES44AC locomotives.    These diesel-electric locomotives, built in Erie, Pa., will help KCS meet increasing economic demand, and are more energy-efficient and produce significantly less carbon emissions than the locomotives they are replacing, DOT said.    “We are seeing President Obama’s commitment to rail boost manufacturing all ...

Friday, February 17, 2012

     The U.S. Surface Transportation Board said Thursday it will hold a March 22 public hearing to explore the impact of Berkshire Hathaway's acquisition of the BNSF Railway in 2010 on certain costing determinations.    Berkshire, headed by the billionaire investor Warren Buffett, paid $43 billion to acquire BNSF.    STB said the Western Coal Traffic League (WCTL) and other parties argue that BNSF's acquisition price produced an $8.1 billion write-up in the r...

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

     Union Pacific plans to invest $200 million in South Louisiana to meet current and expected shipper demand from the petrochemical plants along the Mississippi River.    Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal and UP Chairman James R. Young announced the investment Tuesday.    Jindal said "rail lines are the backbone of the chemical and manufacturing industries in Louisiana, and Union Pacific's expansion will allow the railroad to better serve key plants along the Mississi...

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

     President Obama is proposing a fiscal year 2013 budget for the Department of Transportation of $74 billion, 2 percent, or $1.4 billion, above the 2012 enacted amount.    It's one piece of a $3.8 trillion plan that raises spending to support the middle class through incentives for domestic manufacturing, lower payroll taxes, infrastructure investment and other steps while raising revenue through taxes on the wealthiest Americans and reductions in subsidies for the ...

Friday, February 10, 2012

     North Carolina’s Railinc Corp., which provides data services to the rail industry, has finished its first round of tests and implementations for its comprehensive equipment performance monitoring (CEPM) program and CEPM-Wheelsets.    The CEPM-Wheelsets lets rail carriers, equipment owners, wheel shops and repair shops have a clear look at the health and history of wheelsets through the CEPM’s tracking options to help plan repairs and manage both the wheels and rel...

Thursday, February 09, 2012

     Owens Corning has an active policy to transport as much of its building materials and supplies as possible on trucks powered by liquefied natural gas engines to save fuel costs, Wayne Johnson, the company's manager of global carrier relations, said Jan. 24 at the Transportation Research Board's annual meeting in Washington.    The Toledo, Ohio-based manufacturer has a contract with Dillon Transport for 25 dedicated LNG tank trucks to haul sand and asphalt to plants in ...

Thursday, February 09, 2012

     The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers released work plans for its civil works program through the end of the current fiscal year 2012 and increased the amount it will spend on harbor deepening projects.    Projects underway or planned to deepen harbors in Jacksonville, Fla.; Savannah, Ga.; Charleston, S.C.; Wilmington, N.C., and the Delaware River all received multimillion increases in funding.    The South Carolina Ports Authority said the plan included $2.5...

Wednesday, February 08, 2012

     Canadian National Railway has opened a new intermodal terminal at Chippewa Falls, Wis.    Located 100 miles east of Minneapolis/St. Paul, CN said it offers Wisconsin and Minnesota customers new options to ship and receive goods in containers.    "This terminal gives companies in the Upper Midwest direct and efficient single-rail-line access to new North American and global markets via our continental network as well as the ports we serve on the Pacific, ...

Thursday, February 02, 2012

     The U.S. Department of Transportation on Tuesday said it will make $500 million available this year in the fourth round of TIGER funding for surface transportation investment.     Infrastructure projects will be evaluated on how they advance the Obama administration's goals of safety, improving the nation's economic competitiveness, livable communities, environmental sustainability, keeping assets in a state of good repair and short-term job creation.    The ...

Thursday, February 02, 2012

   RMI, a GE Transportation company and provider of transport management software, has released a new information technology application aimed at helping railroads better analyze revenue management, improve rating accuracy and automation, and decrease rating cycle times.    The new service, RMI said, came about because of customer requests for help with revenue management performance. RMI is adding its new offering to its packaged RailConnect Revenue Management System.

Wednesday, February 01, 2012

     A new transportation bill was introduced in the U.S. House by Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman John L. Mica, R-Fla., and other members of his committee on Tuesday.    They said the American Energy & Infrastructure Jobs Act (H.R. 7) would authorize approximately $260 billion over five years to fund federal highway, transit and safety programs, “consistent with current funding levels.”    Mica called it the “largest transportation reform...

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

   The Michigan Department of Transportation has finalized its State Rail Plan to guide development of passenger and freight rail systems during the next 20 years and announced Timothy Hoeffner as director of the newly created Office of Rail.       The plan identifies $7.2 billion in current and future needs and makes recommendations to encourage ongoing rail investments.    State officials would need to come up with another $2.6 billion above current spending...

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

   The Urban Institute has established a multi-dimensional Infrastructure Initiative designed to inform the public and government officials about the important tradeoffs in developing, operating, maintaining and financing the nation's core systems that support society.    The research effort will examine the fiscal, social and environmental costs and benefits of policy choices at all levels of government related to transportation, electrical, water, sewer, wireless and broadband ...

Monday, January 30, 2012

     Savi, a subsidiary of Lockheed Martin, has launched a mobile tracking system that identifies and tracks in real-time the location, movement, and condition of high-value assets.    Savi said its new system is aimed at governments, heavy industry, large organizations, and manufacturers that have complex logistics requirements.    The Savi Mobile Tracking System includes software and hardware designed to monitor a range of cargo, such as ocean containe...

Monday, January 30, 2012

     Cleveland-based ContainerPort Group said this spring it plans to open a “mega” multipurpose terminal at Columbus, Ohio.    The new facility will allow CPG to consolidate its trucking, container yard, maintenance (chassis and containers), and cargo transfer services into a single location. The site will have access to both CSX and Norfolk Southern railroads. CPG said it secured land to expand its existing facility to about 70 acres.    CPG ...

Friday, January 27, 2012

     The Crescent River Port Pilots Association has decided to increase its maximum draft recommendation from 42 feet to 44 feet on the Lower Mississippi River.    Capt. A.J. Gibbs said he made the recommendation Thursday after "reviewing the most current survey in the Pilottown Cubit's Gap area, and due to the successful transit of the two 44 feet test vessels."    Sean M. Duffy Sr., executive director of the Big River Coalition, said the recommend...

Friday, January 27, 2012

     DB Schenker Rail GmbH has appointed Axel Marschall to head of sales in Europe, effective Feb. 1.    He has performed this function on an interim basis since the departure of Karsten Sachsenröder in November. Marschall was previously chief executive officer of DB Schenker Rail Automotive GmbH in 2009.    Marschall joined Deutsche Bahn in 1999 and has held various management positions. In 2005, he was appointed head of strategy in the Transportation and Logistics Di...

Thursday, January 26, 2012

     The two remaining labor unions that tentatively accepted new contracts with the freight railroad industry are expected to ratify those deals within the next week or two, Edward R. Hamberger, president of the Association of American Railroads, said Monday during a presentation at the Transportation Research Board's annual conference in Washington.    Members of the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Blacksmiths, Iron Ship Builders, Forgers and Helpers; the Inter...

Thursday, January 26, 2012

     Canadian Pacific Railway said it had a profit of 221 million Canadian dollars (U.S. $220.69 million) in the fourth quarter ended Dec. 31, compared to C$186 million in the fourth quarter of 2010.    Revenue in the quarter was C$1.41 billion, compared to C$1.29 billion in the fourth quarter 2010.    For the full year, the company had a profit of C$570 million in 2011, compared to C$651 million in 2010. Revenue in 2011 was C$5.18 billion, compared to C$4.98 billion t...

Thursday, January 26, 2012

     BNSF Railway has released two new online tools to help existing and new customers compare carload shipping options.    The tools, Carload Shipping Advisor and Serving Carrier Reciprocal Switch Inquiry, allow customers to view shipping options and sort them by price, equipment, and route for multiple origins and destinations.    "All of the features in the Carload Shipping Advisor tool are based on direct customer feedback and designed to meet customer needs," said...

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

     Norfolk Southern Corp. said Tuesday it had record fourth-quarter profit of $480 million, 19 percent more than the $402 million earned in the fourth quarter of 2010.     The railroad's operating revenues increased to $2.8 billion, a fourth-quarter record, up 17 percent compared with the same period a year earlier.    The 2011 full-year profit was $1.9 billion, 28 percent higher compared with $1.5 billion for 2010. Operating revenues for the full year 2011...

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

     Kansas City Southern Railways reported profit in the fourth quarter of 2011 of $96 million, 73 percent more than the $56 million during the same period the previous year.    Revenue in the quarter was a record $530 million, 11 percent more than the $479 million recorded in the fourth quarter of 2010. Fourth quarter carloads of 522,000, also a record, increased 7 percent over fourth quarter 2010.    For the year 2011, the company had a profit of $332 million, ...

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

     Canadian National Railway had a profit of $592 million Canadian dollars ($586 million) in the fourth quarter ending Dec. 31, 18 percent more than the fourth-quarter 2010 net income of C$503 million.    Revenue was C$2.38 billion in the quarter, 12 percent more than the C$2.12 billion in the fourth quarter of 2010.    All but one of CN’s commodity groups experienced increased revenues: metals and minerals (+30 percent), intermodal (+16 percent), petroleum and chemi...