(BNSF Photograph)

AAR: Carloads Up, Intermodal Down for Week Ending April 22

It’s the second consecutive week that U.S. carloads rose while intermodal volumes fell, and total rail traffic continued to lag 2022 levels, according to Association of American Railroads’ (AAR) reports.

John Barnard, Director of Fueling Operations for BNSF and 2023 John H. Chafee Environmental Excellence Award recipient (left) with AAR SVP of Safety & Operations Mike Rush (right).

BNSF’s Barnard Receives AAR’s John H. Chafee Award

The Association of American Railroads (AAR) on April 25 named John Barnard, Director–Fueling Operations for BNSF, the recipient of its 2023 John H. Chafee Environmental Excellence Award in recognition of his environmental stewardship.

AAR: North American Rail Volume Down Through 15 Weeks

For the first 15 weeks of 2023 (ending April 15), total U.S. weekly rail traffic dipped 3.9% from the same point last year, according to the Association of American Railroads’ (AAR) April 19 report. Both Canada and Mexico saw increases, while the U.S. experienced a decline.

(Photograph Courtesy of CSX, via Twitter)

North American Rail Volume Continues Decline Through Week 14: AAR

Through the first 14 weeks of 2023 (ending April 8), total North American carload and intermodal traffic dipped 3.9% from the same point last year, according to the Association of American Railroads’ (AAR) April 12 report. Both Canada and Mexico saw increases, while the U.S. experienced a drop-off.

AAR to STB: Railroad Cost of Capital 10.58% for 2022

The Association of American Railroads (AAR) on April 11 submitted to the Surface Transportation Board (STB) its calculations to determine the railroads’ cost of capital for 2022, which the Board will use to make the required annual individual railroad revenue adequacy determination for 2022.

For March, Carloads, Intermodal Volume Continue Decline

U.S. rail traffic in March 2023 dropped from the same month last year—down 7.6% or 192,349 carloads and intermodal units, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported April 5. This follows February’s

U.S. Rail Traffic Still Behind 2022 Levels

For the week ending March 25, 2023, U.S. rail traffic fell 7.5% from the prior-year period, pulled down by both carloads (dipping 0.2%) and intermodal volume (declining 13.9%), according to the Association of American Railroads (AAR).

PHMSA Issues DOT-111 Tank Car Safety Advisory

The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), in coordination with the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), on March 22 released a safety advisory, which it said was to “re-emphasize previously raised concerns about the survivability of DOT-111 tank cars and encourage tank car owners and shippers of flammable liquids to voluntarily upgrade their tank car fleets to the newest, and safest, available tank car design authorized for flammable liquid service—the DOT-117 specification tank car.”

(Photograph Courtesy of CP via Twitter)

For Week 11, U.S. Carloads, Intermodal Down

U.S. rail traffic for the week ending March 18 (Week 11) dipped 9.4% from the same week last year, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported March 22.

(Screen grab courtesy of TTX YouTube video)

TTX to Deploy Telematics Hardware on Railcars

TTX announced that it will begin deploying telematics hardware on its railcars in support of its railroad owners’ “drive for efficiency and customer growth.”

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