The state of Georgia and the Development Authority of Peach County purchased a 1,113-acre industrial development site to be served by Norfolk Southern (NS). Also, Bartlett, a Savage Company, kicked off construction of its $375 million, Watco-served soybean crushing plant in southeast Kansas.
“Examining Freight Rail Safety” was the theme of a June 14 hearing of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials. The aim: for members “to hear from government and stakeholder witnesses about the state of freight rail safety and issues pertinent to keeping rail operations, rail workers and communities safe.” Railway Age provides a roundup.
Many have been waiting for the ongoing battle at the Surface Transportation Board (STB) between Amtrak on one side and CSX, Norfolk Southern and the Port of Mobile on the other (Docket No. FD-36496) to resume on Monday, June 13. The issue was how much infrastructure would have to be built before Amtrak can run two daily round trips between New Orleans and Mobile.
The Surface Transportation Board (STB) on June 10 ordered Board-sponsored mediation in the Gulf Coast case between Amtrak on one side and CSX, Norfolk Southern (NS), and the Alabama State Port Authority and its Terminal Railway Alabama State Docks division (collectively, the Port) on the other. CSX and Amtrak respond.
Norfolk Southern (NS), Union Pacific (UP), the Port of Virginia and Hapag-Lloyd are offering shippers a new option to reach West Coast markets, NS reported on June 8.
Norfolk Southern (NS) on June 7 rang The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) Opening Bell®, marking the 40th anniversary of the merger that created the Class I railroad.
RailPulse has a seventh member: Union Pacific, which on June 7 joined the coalition established in late 2020 to “develop, broaden and accelerate the use of GPS and other telematics technologies in North America’s freight rail industry.”
Railinc will develop, maintain and operate RailPulse’s technology platform for monitoring railcar location, condition and health under a 10-year agreement, RailPulse reported on May 31.
The slugfest between Amtrak on one side and CSX, NS, and the Port of Mobile on the other, has been long. It has lasted for ten full days plus an afternoon so far, and reached its originally scheduled conclusion on Thursday, May 11. That was the half-day, following the morning appearance of Chair Martin J. Oberman and other members of the Surface Transportation Board (STB) before the House Transportation & Infrastructure (T&I) Committee.
The Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency (CREATE) Program partners are bolstering STEM education in the Chicago, Ill., area with donations totaling $400,000. Also, Stockton (Calif.) Terminal and Eastern Railroad, a managed affiliate of OmniTRAX, presented a community donation to the Waterloo-Morada Fire District in honor of Pacific Northwest Oil.
