Switching & Terminal

Commentary

CILTNA 2024 New York Rail Summit Report

Rail professionals were recently treated to the inner workings of railroads in the New York City area. The half-day session, courtesy of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport in North America

Commentary

ZE Power for Short Lines

Since the second half of the 20th century, four-axle diesel-electric switcher locomotives have been used extensively on short lines. The most common are the EMD SW1500 (1,500 hp/1,119 kW), GP9 (1,750 hp/1,305

Cathcart, which operates Belpre Industrial Parkersburg Railroad (pictured), is investing more than $10 million to expand its Kansas City, Mo., railcar repair facility. Belpre Industrial Parkersburg Railroad was a Railway Age 2021 Short Line of the Year Honorable Mention. (Photograph Courtesy of Belpre Industrial Parkersburg Railroad)

Industrial Development Briefs: Cathcart, Buffalo, Virginia CTB

Cathcart Rail (Cathcart) is expanding its railcar repair facility in Kansas City, Mo. Also, Buffalo Rail & Infrastructure Corporation (Buffalo) acquires Canfor Pulp Products’ pulp mill assets, including 300-plus acres of heavy industrial land, in Taylor, B.C.; and the Virginia Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) approves increasing the Rail Industrial Access fund.

AAR: Carloads Down, Intermodal Up for Week 11

U.S. rail traffic for the week ending March 16, 2024 (Week 11) was up 6.7% from the prior-year period, as intermodal gains more than offset carload losses, according to the Association of American Railroads’ (AAR) latest report.

Port of Charleston Capacity Set to Expand

South Carolina Ports plans to purchase the former WestRock paper mill site in North Charleston, S.C., to expand port capacity at the Port of Charleston. The roughly 280-acre industrial waterfront property sits adjacent to

Commentary

Are You Ready for 2024?

Rail Equipment Finance 2024: Does anyone remember the saying “In Like a Lion—Out Like a Lamb”? Intermodal loadings ended 2023 on a strong note and started out 2024 positive as well. The

Commentary

Adapt or Decline

Growth has yet to materialize for the rail industry. What is holding this industry back? Can railroads grow again? If so, how? 2023 saw yet another decline in rail traffic volumes, continuing this industry’s decades-long gradual trend. What philosophy is leading to this outcome?