While we’re all waiting for the carriers and the unions to agree or not on the recommendations of the Presidential Emergency Board, I thought I’d probe a bit more into the issue of the single-person crew for main line freight train movements in these United States.
This is a deeper look at the possible role of using existing train movements to help reduce air pollution using direct carbon capture science, through an exclusive interview with the involved scientists—with a few independent observations as to the execution challenges ahead.
The Bernina Express, a cheery, cherry-red Swiss train, bills itself as “the most spectacular way to cross the Alps,” but on a ride I took this summer from St. Moritz down to Tirano in Italy, I found even this oversize boast inadequate.
Changes coming in September will revolutionize BART’s schedule by adding a layer of consistency in the timing of trains across all seven days of the week that will be unlike anything BART riders have experienced in the last 50 years. The latest edition of BART’s podcast series “Hidden Tracks: Stories from BART” explores what the schedule change means for you and takes an inside look at everything you’ve ever wanted to know about how the schedule is made.
The Senate Commerce Committee will hold a confirmation hearing Sept. 7 on President Biden’s nomination of Democrat Robert E. Primus to a second term on the Surface Transportation Board (STB). This is a preliminary step, requiring a subsequent vote among committee members whether to send the nomination forward to the entire Senate for consideration. The latter could be problematic, as will be explained.
Benita Gibson didn’t set out to join the rail industry, but after 15 years at Union Pacific Railroad and 30 years in management across three different industries, she serves as Union Pacific’s general superintendent for commuter operations in Chicago—and she wouldn’t have it any other way.
I hadn’t considered a railroad career until meeting with Sandra Christen, Union Pacific senior manager-operations support, at my college’s career fair. I was captivated by the idea of getting to explore different places and getting a hands-on summer experience that included learning firsthand how America’s leading railroad company moves goods to people.
When Tara Hogan was growing up in Texas, she wanted to be a basketball coach—a career in freight rail wasn’t on her radar. But after high school and six years of service in the U.S. Air Force, she finished her college degree, took on a few different jobs and went looking for her next gig.
When Congress partially deregulated railroad rates and practices in 1980 (Staggers Rail Act), it instructed regulators to consider revenue adequacy in determining the reasonableness of rail rates charged captive shippers—those lacking effective transportation alternatives to rail. More than four decades later, neither the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) nor its Surface Transportation Board (STB) successor have promulgated the intended regulatory rules.
Trend Reminder: As always, this column represents Jim Blaze’s independent evaluation of trends and different rail freight vending companies. This column is about rail freight’s evolving software management tools. As a reminder, there are other providers competing out there. And some of the Class I railroads might disagree with my assessment that they can’t provide you with such value-added functionality. You, the railroad industry audience, must choose.
