Union Pacific

Commentary

Reciprocal Switch Peril Grows

No two words torment railroad executives and their investors more than “reciprocal switching”—a potential Surface Transportation Board (STB) decree that a railroad with sole physical access to a shipper facility transfer (switch) a shipper’s cars to a junction point with a second (competing) railroad. The second railroad pays a compensatory per-car switching fee whose reasonableness is determined by the STB.

UP Taps Miller as VP, Treasurer

Michael Miller, a 28-year Union Pacific (UP) veteran, has been appointed Vice President and Treasurer, effective Feb. 1, 2022, succeeding Gary Grosz.

UP Issues Climate Action Plan

Union Pacific (UP) on Dec. 6 published a 2021 Climate Action Plan addressing its efforts to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

BLET, SMART-TD Challenge Amtrak on Vaccine Policy

The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) and the Transportation Division of the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, and Transportation Workers (SMART-TD) have filed suit against Amtrak over implementation of its COVID-19 vaccine policy.

STB Eyes Private Railcar Rulemaking

The Surface Transportation Board will consider a proposal by private railcar owners to adopt regulations updating the demurrage and accessorial rules governing the railroads’ use and handling of their equipment.

Class I Briefs: CN, CP, CSX, UP

CN has been added to Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) North America and DJSI World for 2021. In addition, Canadian Pacific (CP) is joining forces with Canadian Music Hall-of-Famer Steven Page and The Strumbellas to fight hunger; CSX has earned a National Defense Transportation Association service award; and Union Pacific (UP) has launched a Business Resource Group focused on the environment.

USDOT Awards $1B in RAISE Grants

The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) will distribute nearly $1 billion to 90 rail, transit, road and port projects through the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) discretionary grants program; California High-Speed Rail Authority and Genesee & Wyoming are among the grantees.

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