(Photograph Courtesy of CP)
Commentary

Cowen: ‘Looking Down the Windy Tracks’

A strike has been averted for now as the major unions reached tentative agreements. Contracts details are expected to be in line with the Presidential Emergency Board recommendations. The railroads will have to gradually pass through costs as contracts are renewed if they want to keep margins intact. This may prove difficult as we head into an economic slowdown. We continue to favor Canadian Pacific (CP) in the rail group.

Union Pacific on June 7 joined the RailPulse coalition, which was formed in late 2020 to “develop, broaden and accelerate the use of GPS and other telematics technologies in North America’s freight rail industry.”

RailPulse Outlines Three-Phase Pilot

RailPulse is developing a cloud-based telematics platform in an aim “to accelerate the adoption of GPS and other technologies across the North American railcar network.” Late last month, it outlined a three-phase approach to development, which is slated to be complete in second-quarter 2023.

Moore to Help Kick Off ‘Rail Insights: Women in Rail’ Event

Railway Age’s inaugural Rail Insights: Women in Rail Conference will feature Ontario Northland President and CEO Corina Moore, one of our first Women in Rail award honorees. Hearing from leading industry women like Moore is just one reason to participate in this virtual event, to be held Nov. 10, starting at 1:30 p.m. ET. Need more reasons? Here are five.

Virginia Issues Draft 2022 Statewide Rail Plan

The Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) has released a draft rail plan for public comment.

Union Pacific has selected its design firm for a key segment of the CREATE project.

UP Selects HDR for Final Track Design, Engineering Services on CREATE Project

Union Pacific (UP) has selected HDR to provide final track design and engineering services for the UP-led portion of the 80th Street Junction Replacements (EW2) project, a major component of CREATE’s 75th Street Corridor Improvement Project.

Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) recently added Nissan to its list of customers at the Port of Brunswick’s Colonel’s Island terminal. (Photograph Courtesy of GPA)

Intermodal Briefs: GPA, Port Saint John

Nissan North America selects Georgia Ports Authority’s (GPA) Port of Brunswick, Ga., as a new point of entry to serve U.S. markets. Also, Canada’s Port Saint John in New Brunswick reaches a 100,000-TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit) milestone.

Norfolk Southern has promoted Paul Duncan to Senior Vice President Transportation & Network Operations (left); Rodney Moore to Vice President Network Operations (center); and Jacob Elium to Vice President Network Planning and Optimization.

NS Forms Combined Transportation, Network Ops Organization

Paul B. Duncan will lead Norfolk Southern’s (NS) newly combined
Transportation and Network Operations organization, the Class I railroad reported on Sept. 29.

NS Commits $400,000 to Combat ‘Food Insecurity’

NS on Sept. 28 announced a commitment of $400,000 in grants to 31 food banks located across the states served by the company.

Coastal Watches/Warnings and Forecast Cone for Storm Center. (NS)

NS, CSX Prep for Ian

As Hurricane Ian makes its way to the Florida Gulf Coast, with landfall expected between Sept. 28 and Sept. 30, Class I railroads Norfolk Southern (NS) and CSX are taking precautions to prepare for the storm’s impact.

Farmer Among ‘Rail Insights: Women in Rail’ Headliners

BNSF President and CEO Katie Farmer will top the lineup for Railway Age’s inaugural Rail Insights: Women in Rail Conference, to be held virtually on Nov. 10. Hearing from leading industry women like Farmer is just one reason to participate. Need more? Here are five.

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