NS, UP Leveraging Louisville
As Union Pacific CEO Jim Vena makes the rounds in Washington, including a visit to the Oval Office, to lobby for support of UP’s acquisition of Norfolk Southern, the intended merger partners
news
STB Grants AAR Ex Parte Petition
The Surface Transportation Board (STB) on Sept. 8 granted an Association of American Railroads (AAR) petition to open a proceeding to consider revisions to the Board’s regulations governing ex parte communications. Ex
Commentary
Mr. Vena Goes to Washington
This just in, from Union Pacific: “CEO Jim Vena was honored to meet [POTUS 47] in the Oval Office, a special place for America with a longstanding history. They discussed how creating
Commentary
Labor Day Turns Good to Great, Albeit Temporarily
We don’t know much about art, but apparently famous painters go through different periods. Picasso had three: Blue Period from 1901-1904, Rose Period from 1904-1906, and Cubism from 1907-1917. Transposing that to
Transit Briefs: DART, LACMTA
The Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) Board signs off on service cuts. Also, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA) releases the Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) for the C Line Extension to Torrance.
Canada’s MPO Set to Review New Projects
The government of Canada on Sept. 11 reported that the Contrecoeur Container Terminal project in Montréal, Quebec, is part of the first series of projects being referred to the new Major Projects Office
AHR to Launch Alberta Rail Terminal
Genesee & Wyoming Canada Inc. (G&W Canada) on Sept. 11 reported that subsidiary Alberta Heartland Railway (AHR) has entered into various agreements with Gasia Energy Corp., including a long-term lease of more
Key Leadership Appointments for R.J. Corman
R. J. Corman Railroad Group on Sept. 11 announced the promotion of three key executives. This, the company says, “serves to strengthen and optimize the senior team with tenured employees who have demonstrated proven leadership acumen and a high level of commitment to R. J. Corman’s growth.”
ITS Logistics Issues September US Port/Rail Ramp Freight Index
“Import volumes dipped slightly in August, indicating the traditional surge of drayage activity spanning late Q3 to early Q4 will not materialize for the 2025 peak season,” according to ITS Logistics’ recently
Commentary
How Rail Leaders Navigate Uncertainty and Come Out Stronger (Part 1 in a Series)
The North American rail industry has never faced more simultaneous pressures. Federal tariffs and mandates, regulators requiring training updates and technology upgrades, supply chain disruptions, labor negotiations that could shut down networks,
Commentary
BNSF’s Intermodal Container ‘Matchmaking’ Program a Win-Win-Win
Shipping containers come from overseas to U.S. ports every day loaded full of imports like electronics, toys, footwear, clothes – just about anything you can buy in big box stores. But what happens to those containers once they’re unloaded from trains or trucks? Most are transported back to the port empty, reducing efficiency and increasing costs.
USDOJ Stops Hitting NS with Crescent Wrench
More than one year after the U.S. Justice Department filed a civil complaint in U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia alleging that Norfolk Southern “delays passenger trains on Amtrak’s Crescent
Class I Briefs: CSX, CN
CSX marks six months of Pride in Service initiatives and events, and teams with the 2025 Medal of Honor Celebration to hold a historic reenactment of the Great Locomotive Chase. Also, CN gives a “supply chain salute” to Greenergy and the Port of/de Belledune on the signing of a long-term lease agreement.
NJT Exercises MLIII, ALP45-DP Alstom Options
New Jersey Transit has exercised options worth $1.26 billion with Alstom Transportation Inc. for an additional 200 powered and non-powered Multilevel III (MLIII) commuter railcars and 12 ALP45-DP (dual-power, diesel/catenary-electric) locomotives. The
First Look: Cando Rail & Terminals’ Battery-Electric Switcher
Cando Rail & Terminals on Sept. 10 unveiled a new battery-electric switcher at its Southlands Terminal in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Transit Briefs: Caltrain, NYMTA, Bay Area Transit Systems
Caltrain’s August ridership sees more than one million passengers. Also, crime falls to historic lows on New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (MTA) subway system; and Gov. Gavin Newsom pledges support for a Bay Area transit bailout after a proposed $750 million state loan stalls.
Standard Rail Launches New B2B SaaS Platform
Standard Rail Corporation on Sept. 11 announced the launch of SIDINGS™, a B2B (business-to-business) SaaS (software as a service) platform “built to digitize rail logistics and bring long-overdue transparency to how shippers, facilities, and service providers connect across North America—while laying the foundation for an API- and AI-powered future of rail.”
For NS, Four ‘Strategic Moves’
Norfolk Southern’s Intermodal and Automotive business units recently announced upgrades to four terminals in Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania that support “capacity, efficiency, and customer demand.” These projects are “strategic moves” designed to
Kloster, Schultz Chosen for STB by POTUS 47
POTUS 47 has nominated Republican Richard Kloster to fill a vacant seat at the Surface Transportation Board (STB) and renominated Republican Michelle A. Schultz to a second term. The Sept. 11 nominations
CHSRA Secures $1B in State Cap-and-Invest Funding
The California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) on Sept. 10 reported that State leaders have agreed to reauthorize the Cap-and-Invest program, “securing a historic commitment of $1 billion for the project annually through 2045.”