Commentary

‘Where Are The Loads? There Ought To Be Loads’

FINANCIAL EDGE, RAILWAY AGE FEBRUARY 2023 ISSUE: January is always an unusual month. Holiday coziness is quickly exchanged for the realities of credit card bills, a “don’t talk to me about what you did in 2022; what are you going to do for me in 2023?” attitude from employers (apologies to JFK) and a new set of 52 weeks over which to compare railcar loadings. Ask any fan from any football team trying to survive through the NFL playoffs: January is an odd month.

Ahead of future service between Mobile, Ala., and New Orleans, La., Amtrak engineers and conductors will soon begin required “familiarization” trips to learn the route’s physical characteristics.

Transit Briefs: Amtrak, MTA Metro-North, Tri-Rail

Amtrak advances crew training for Mobile-to-New Orleans intercity passenger rail service. Also, Connecticut lawmakers eye electrification of MTA Metro-North Railroad’s Danbury Branch; and south Florida’s Tri-Rail commuter railroad saw January ridership grow 30% over the same month last year.

CSX, NS, UP, CN Renew Petition to Stay Requirement That Class I’s Commit to Arbitration Program

CSX, Norfolk Southern (NS), Union Pacific (UP) and the U.S. operating subsidiaries of CN on Feb. 3 renewed their request that the Surface Transportation Board (STB) stay its requirement that the Class I railroads commit to a new arbitration program for small rate disputes.

Report: Chicago City Council Approves NS Englewood Rail Yard Expansion

The Chicago City Council on Feb. 1 approved Norfolk Southern’s (NS) 15-year effort to double the size of its storage yard in Englewood, according to a WTTW News report.

From Left to Right: PST President and CEO Rushi Patel; MARS Past President Carrie Evans and new MARS President Kathy Bathurst; and Metro Transit Police Chief Ernest Morales III.

People News: PST, MARS, SEPTA, Met Council/Metro Transit

PS Technology (PST) appoints Rushi Patel President and CEO. Also, the Midwest Association of Rail Shippers (MARS) welcomes new officers and executive director; the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) appoints Ronald Keele new Chief Safety Officer; and Minnesota’s Metropolitan Council (Met Council) selects Ernest Morales III as Chief of the Metro Transit Police Department.

For NS, $3.2B in 2022 Economic Development

Norfolk Southern (NS) customers invested $3.2 billion in industrial development projects along its network in 2022.

STB Denies Request to ‘Stay’ Requirement That Class I’s Commit to Arbitration Program (Updated)

CSX, Norfolk Southern (NS), Union Pacific (UP) and the U.S. operating subsidiaries of CN on Dec. 29, 2022 requested that the Surface Transportation Board (STB) stay its requirement that the Class I railroads commit to a new arbitration program for small rate disputes. STB on Jan. 23, 2023 denied the request.

Conrail to Deploy Digital Tools for Train Crews

Conrail has contracted with Cloud-hosted software provider Comply365 to roll out a content management system and mobile app for train crews, eliminating the need for paper rulebooks.

“Our team delivered double-digit percentage growth in revenue, as well as earnings per share and achieved record revenue and operating income for the year," NS President and CEO Alan H. Shaw said.

NS 4Q: ‘Double-Digit Percentage Growth’ (UPDATED, Cowen)

For Norfolk Southern (NS), fourth-quarter 2022 railway operating revenue was $3.2 billion, up 13%, or $385 million, compared with fourth-quarter 2021, a “fourth-quarter record” driven by a 15% increase in revenue per unit, the Class I reported Jan. 25.

NS on Jan. 17 honored 15 customer and supplier recipients of its inaugural Thoroughbred Sustainability Partner Awards, which honor corporate programs in three categories: achieving “significant energy efficiency savings”; implementing “innovations that have significantly contributed to a more sustainable future”; and working to “promote stewardship of the environment.” (Photograph Courtesy of NS)

Class I Briefs: BNSF, CP, NS

Following weather-related service challenges at the end of December, BNSF reports that overall car velocity for the week ending Jan. 17 is up more than 8% vs. last month. Also, Canadian Pacific

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