North America’s Class I railroads have embarked on a rail operations safety initiative that will institute new voluntary operating practices for moving crude oil by rail. The initiative, which follows consultations between railroads represented by the Association of American Railroads (AAR) and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), including the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), covers steps related to crude by rail operations. Additional issues relating to the safe transport of crude oil, such as tank car standards and proper shipper classification of crude oil, are being addressed separately.

The Association of American Railroads has established its Associate Advisory Board (AAB) seats for calendar years 2014-2015. The AAR received more than 70 nominations for 32 seats on AAR committees.

The Association of American Railroads has presented Union Pacific Assistant Vice President Finance and Insurance Warren Bruce Beach the 2013 David W. Fries Award for exemplary risk management efforts and practices in the railroad industry. The award was presented at the Railroad Insurance Management Association’s (RIMA) annual meeting in Banff, Alberta.

Programs to evaluate LNG (liquefied natural gas) as a locomotive fuel are expanding throughout the rail industry, led by such stakeholders as GE Transportation, Electro-Motive Diesel, BNSF, Union Pacific, CN, Clean Energy Fuels, Chart Industries, Westport Innovations, Waste Management, and many others. At the 2013 GE Transportation/Norfolk Southern Railroad Sustainability Symposium, a panel of industry experts talked about current LNG projects, and the potential of this relatively new alternative to diesel fuel.

Corridor Capital LLC and GDF SUEZ Gas NA have joined the Association of American Railroads as Gold Associate Members.

The Association of American Railroads, for the week ending Aug. 10, 2013 reported intermodal volume of 257,969 units, up 6.1% compared with the same week last year, and 288,803 carloads, down 0.2% compared with the 2012 week. Total U.S. rail traffic for the week was 546,772 combined carloads and intermodal units, up 2.7% compared with last year.

The Federal Railroad Administration issued an Emergency Order (EO 28, Notice No. 1, 49 CFR 232.103[n]) and Safety Advisory (2013-06) Friday evening, Aug. 2, 2013, “to help prevent trains operating on main line tracks or sidings from moving unintentionally,” specifically, those hauling certain types of hazardous materials, such as crude oil and ethanol.

In two days of testimony before two separate U.S. House of Representatives transportation panels, Association of American Railroads President and CEO Edward R. Hamberger emphasized that “billions in annual privately funded rail infrastructure investments have made America’s rail network vital to U.S. competitiveness in the global supply chain,” and those investments spent on infrastructure and maintenance “provide a world-class foundation for America’s intercity passenger and commuter rail operations.”

Like a U.S. Navy destroyer unleashing all of its weapons simultaneously, the Association of American Railroads has launched a strongly worded attack on the National Industrial Transportation League’s proposal to the Surface Transportation Board for “forced switching,” also known as “mandated access,” “mandatory switching,” and “forced competition.”

The Association of American Railroads has reported an increase in traffic for the week ending May 4, 2013, with total U.S. weekly carloads of 283,916 up 2.8%, compared with the same week last year. Intermodal volume for the week totaled 245,678 units, up 2.8% compared with the same week last year. Total U.S. traffic for the week was 529,594 carloads and intermodal units, up 2.8% compared with the same week last year.