Commentary

A Century of Service: The Kessel Family’s Legacy on the Rails

In America’s heartland, where steel rails stretch across vast plains and rolling hills, the Kessel family’s legacy is interwoven with the history of BNSF Railway and our predecessors.

CPKC held its Final Spike Steam Tour kick-off event on April 24 at its headquarters in Calgary. (Screenshot of CPKC Video)

CPKC Kicks Off Final Spike Anniversary Steam Tour (UPDATED, 4/26)

Canadian Pacific Kansas City’s long-awaited Final Spike Anniversary Steam Tour of Canadian Pacific Hudson 2816, The Empress, from Calgary to Mexico City to mark the one-year anniversary of CPKC’s official merger, kicked

“BNSF is committed to improving safety on our railroad and is proud to have reached an agreement to voluntarily participate with ATDA in C3RS,” BNSF President and CEO Katie Farmer said April 25. (BNSF Photograph)

BNSF: Second Class I to Participate in FRA C3RS

BNSF and the American Train Dispatchers Association (ATDA) will partner with the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to join a one-year pilot program of the FRA-sponsored Confidential Close Call Reporting System (C3RS). Their decision to

Union Pacific Photograph

UP 1Q24: ‘Strong’ Financial Results Despite ‘Challenging’ Freight Market (Updated, Interview with Jim Vena and TD Cowen Insight)

“Our team delivered strong financial results in the first quarter as we navigated a challenging freight market and normal winter conditions,” Union Pacific (UP) CEO Jim Vena said during the Class I’s financial report on April 25. “These results build on the momentum we established as we exited 2023 and provide further proof of what’s possible as we strive to be the best in safety, service and operational excellence. This is a great start to the year, but we understand there’s work to be done to achieve our goals and meet our stakeholders’ expectations.”

(Innovative Construction Group, LLC Photograph)

NCRR Injecting $200K in Innovative Construction Group Plant

Innovative Construction Group, LLC is receiving a $250,000 grant from NCRR Invests, the North Carolina Railroad Company’s (NCRR) economic development arm, to help develop a new manufacturing facility in Siler City, N.C., to be served by Norfolk Southern (NS).

Donald M. Payne Jr. (Photo from the Congressional Office of Donald M. Payne Jr.)

Donald M. Payne Jr., 1958-2024

U.S. Rep. Donald M. Payne Jr. of New Jersey, who served as Senior Democrat on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee’s Rail Subcommittee, died April 24. He was 65.

(NS Photograph)

NS Confirms 1Q24 Prelim Results, Outlines Strategy (UPDATED, 4/25)

Norfolk Southern (NS) has confirmed that its first-quarter 2024 financial results are in line with the preliminary results it announced April 9, one month before the May 9 shareholder’s meeting in which

Union Pacific transported Vestas V163-4.5 MW wind turbine blades, the largest wind blade moved across U.S. rail networks. (UP photo)

Class I Briefs: UP, CSX, NS

Union Pacific (UP) collaborates with Vestas to ship the largest wine turbine blades across the country by rail. Also, CSX Assistant Controller Thomas McDuffie is named a Rising Star by the Florida Institute of CFOs (fiCFO); and the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) commends Norfolk Southern’s (NS) role in supply chain continuity amid Baltimore disruptions.

(Union Pacific Photograph)

AAR: Total Carload, Intermodal Volume Flat for Week 16

U.S. rail traffic for the week ending April 20, 2024 (Week 16), came in at 474,544 carloads and intermodal units, up 0.8%—virtually flat—compared with the same week last year, based on 216,945 carloads—down 6.7% from 2023—and intermodal volume of 257,599 containers and trailers—up 8.2%, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported April 24.

(Logos Courtesy of RailPros)

RailPros Acquires Omega Rail Management

Irving, Tex.-based RailPros on April 24 reported acquiring Nashville, Tenn.-based Omega Rail Management, a TerraPact company that provides right-of-way management services on more than 70 corridors across 20-plus states. “The services offered

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