Commentary

Political Pedantry, NIMBY Nervousness, Maritime Mendaciousness

Recently, three filings with the Surface Transportation Board in opposition to the Canadian Pacific-Kansas City Southern merger application came across the transom that strike me as odd. One is from a California Congresswoman. The second (multiple letters, actually) is from a Chicago region group called The Coalition to Stop CPKC. The third—and strangest—is from three Federal Maritime Commissioners.

AAR: Carloads Rise a Little, Intermodal Falls a Lot

U.S. rail traffic for the week ending June 18, 2022 (Week 24) was 501,207 carloads and intermodal units, down 2.5% compared with the same week last year. Total carloads were 232,921, up 0.4%, while U.S. intermodal volume of 268,286 containers and trailers fell 4.9%. Year-to-date, carloads improved an almost negligible 0.02%, but intermodal dropped 6.3%, compared to the prior-year period.

For Amtrak, 50 More Siemens ALC-42s

Amtrak has exercised an option with Siemens Mobility for an additional 50 ALC-42 (“Amtrak Long-Distance Charger, 4,200 HP”) diesel-electric locomotives, bringing the total contract value to $2 billion, including supplemental multiyear maintenance support. The amount also includes about $850 million in funding set aside when the initial order of 75 units was announced in 2018.

Rail Insights 2022: An In-Depth Dive Into Equipment Finance With GATX

At Railway Age’s Eighth Annual Rail Insights Conference, to be held virtually June 23, GATX Executive Vice President and President, Rail North America Paul Titterton and Railway Age Financial Editor David Nahass will talk about pressing issues facing the equipment finance space.

STB Sets 3Q22 RCAF

The Surface Transportation Board (STB) has set the third-quarter 2022 RCAF (Rail Cost Adjustment Factor), described as “an index formulated to represent changes in railroad costs incurred by the nation’s largest railroads over a specified period of time.”

Carolina Worrell Returns to Railway Age

Carolina Worrell has returned to the editorial staff of Railway Age after a six-year absence, rejoining as Senior Editor and working alongside Editor-in-Chief William C. Vantuono and Executive Editor Marybeth Luczak.  Worrell

CN, CSX Scuttle Massena Line Transaction (Updated With Commentary)

CSX and CN have mutually terminated their transaction in which CN would purchase CSX’s Montreal-Syracuse, N.Y., Massena Line and fold it into its Bessemer Subdivision, the former Bessemer & Lake Erie, which CN acquired in 2004 as part of its larger purchase of holding company Great Lakes Transportation.

Washington Union Station Redevelopment Progressing

The multi-billion-dollar Washington Union Station Expansion Project, intended to modernize and revitalize one of the most iconic and beautiful train stations in North America, took a step further on June 16 when Grimshaw Architects, the project’s architectural firm, gave a presentation to the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts (CFA), which reviews and approves design proposals for certain public and private properties in the nation’s capital.

Rail Insights 2022: STB Chair Oberman, Itzkoff to Engage in ‘Spirited Discussion‘

At Railway Age’s Eighth Annual Rail Insights Conference, to be held virtually June 23, Surface Transportation Board Chairman Marty Oberman and Railway Age Contributing Editor Don Itzkoff talk about STB’s oversight of the rail industry.

Crawford to Bose: Safety Policy Changes ‘Politically Motivated’

Editor’s Note: On June 14, 2022, the day that the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials is conducting a hearing, “Examining Freight Rail Safety,” the purpose of

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