TTC Management Begins Transition to ENSCO
Operation and maintenance of the Pueblo, Colo.-based Transportation Technology Center (TTC) began transitioning to ENSCO, Inc., this week, with completion slated for October.
AAR
March Rail Volumes: A ‘Mixed’ Bag in U.S.
“March was another mixed month for U.S. rail volumes,” Association of American Railroads’ Senior Vice President John T. Gray noted in an April 6 AAR report; it was the “best month ever” for carloads of chemicals, but down were carloads of grain, and petroleum and paper products, among others.
STB Seeks Comments on Private Railcar Rulemaking Petition
The Surface Transportation Board (STB) is inviting public comment on a Petition for Rulemaking that would update the demurrage and accessorial rules governing the railroads’ use and handling of privately owned freight cars. Responses are due by June 30, 2022.
U.S. Rail Traffic Dips in Week 12, AAR
U.S. Class I railroads hauled 504,817 carloads and intermodal units for the week ending March 26, 2022, falling 3.2% from the prior-year period. This is based on 233,555 carloads—up 0.5% from 2021—and 271,262 containers and trailers—down 6.2%, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported on March 30.
AAR: North American Rail Volume Down 4% Through 11 Weeks
The Association of American Railroads (AAR) now has 11 weeks of rail traffic data for 2022 (ending March 19). Total carload and intermodal traffic fell 4% in North America—dropping 2.6% in the U.S. and 10.2% in Canada, and rising 3.4% in Mexico from the same point last year.
STB Sets 2Q22 Rail Cost Adjustment Factor
The Surface Transportation Board has adopted for second-quarter 2022 the rail cost adjustment factor (RCAF), defined as “an index formulated to represent changes in railroad costs incurred by the nation’s largest railroads over a specified period of time.”
Week 10: U.S. Rail Traffic Behind 2021 Levels
For the week ending March 12, 2022, U.S. rail traffic was down 4.7% over the same week last year; total carloads came in 0.9% higher while intermodal volume dropped 9.1%, according to the Association of American Railroads’ (AAR) March 16 report.
TTCI: New Name, Same Aim
The Association of American Railroads (AAR) on March 15 reported that its wholly owned subsidiary, the Transportation Technology Center, Inc., has a new name: MxV Rail.
Wheel Defect Detection Using EMATs
RAILWAY AGE MARCH 2022 ISSUE: Since 2020, Transportation Technology Center, Inc. (TTCI) has been conducting tests to evaluate the capability of electromagnetic acoustic transducer (EMAT) nondestructive evaluation (NDE) technology to detect internal defects in railroad wheels.
STB Reauthorization: ‘If It isn’t Broke, Don’t Fix It’?
Railroad stakeholders on March 8 shared their views on the Surface Transportation Board’s (STB) role in regulating the freight railroad industry as well as its reauthorization during a hearing of the House Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials. Testifying were representatives from the American Chemistry Council, Amtrak, Association of American Railroads, Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, National Industrial Transportation League, and Private Railcar Food and Beverage Association.