Commentary
A Look Back at 2023
Written by William C. Vantuono, Editor-in-Chief
What does Santa Claus really want for Christmas? Find out after reading this story!
Indeed, 2023, despite its rough patches, was on balance a very good year for the rail industry. In the spirit of the Holiday Season, the Association of American Railroads highlighted a few positive things. In a world where the news is dominated by stories and images of conflict, pain, hardship and suffering, I’m grateful to share with you, our readers, the AAR’s take on 2023, courtesy of The Signal newsletter, followed by a few images from the pages of Railway Age that are among my favorites. Of course, these are but a few highlights.
“In 2023, the freight rail industry celebrated its 194th year of operation,“ AAR noted. “The year witnessed substantial investments, totaling billions of dollars, aimed at elevating safety, enhancing service and advancing sustainability initiatives. Railroads expanded main line trackage, modernized infrastructure, diversified service offerings, grew intermodal yards, integrated AI into operations and continued exploring renewable energy solutions.
“BNSF completed a four-year, multi-faceted project to widen a single-track chokepoint on its Northern Corridor in Sandpoint, Idaho. What used to be two miles of single-track main line involving a bridge nearly a mile long over Lake Pend Oreille is now two main tracks with parallel bridges, plus an improved connection where BNSF’s Kootenai River Subdivision links up with Montana Rail Link.
“CN ordered 60 more modernized diesels from Wabtec. The new order builds on a previous 50-unit order and will bring the total modernized fleet to 110 locomotives. The locomotives involved will be converted from DC to AC-powered traction and will gain such enhancements as the FDL Advantage engine upgrade and digital features such as Trip Optimizer and Locotrol Distributed Power.
“CPKC added 1,000 new, 53-foot refrigerated intermodal containers to its network, more than doubling its existing fleet and bringing more shipping options to customers using the expanding Mexico Midwest Express (MMX) Series premium intermodal service.
“CSX hosted a four-day hands-on training at the B&O Railroad Museum for 150 first responders in Baltimore. The training provided essential skills to firefighters and responders for handling railroad emergencies by ensuring familiarity with equipment and safety features in a controlled environment, contributing to a more effective emergency response.
“Norfolk Southern plans to have Wabtec’s Yard Planner system fully implemented its at Norris Yard in Alabama next year to improve hump yard efficiency. The system, using computer-aided decision making, targets a 10% reduction in switching and dwell time, a 10% increase in car connections and a more-than 40% easing of yardmasters workload.
“Union Pacific engineers replaced more than three million ties with eco-friendly composite ties made from recycled materials, which reduce CO2 emissions and divert plastic from landfills. The railroad plans to double the installation of composite ties to roughly six million in 2024, aiming for a 50-year lifespan.
“AAR CEO Ian Jefferies recently expressed optimism about the rail industry’s growth in the upcoming year when he spoke with Todd Tranausky on FTR’s State of Freight Rail Market podcast. His key points included:
- “Intermodal market improvements — and overcoming challenges like schedule restructuring, the pandemic and labor shortages — poise railroads to regain lost market share and capture new business opportunities.
- “Industrial nearshoring, federal infrastructure support and the shift to clean energy show big potential for future railroad business.
- “Industry service metrics have greatly improved, challenging the outdated belief that rail is only effective for shipments more than 500 or 600 miles.
From Railway Age’s files:
BNSF President and CEO Katie Farmer, the first woman to head a Class I railroad, accepted Railway Age’s 2023 Railroader of the Year Award in March at the Union League Club of Chicago.
Pacific Harbor Line on May 4 showcased its new EMD® Joule battery-electric locomotive from Progress Rail at a graduation ceremony for its latest class of engineers. The zero-emission, zero-idle EMD® Joule began one year of testing with PHL, an Anacostia Rail Holdings subsidiary that provides rail transportation, maintenance and dispatching services for the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles, switching approximately 40,000 freight cars annually.
Brightline’s first higher-speed train to Orlando, Fla., arrived at 11:05 a.m. on Sept. 22, marking the official start of Miami-to-Orlando passenger rail service, following four years of construction. Bright Pink, built by Siemens Mobility, was greeted by more than 500 elected officials, business leaders, community partners and company leaders.
“Familiar faces and places often recede from our sight, like the proverbial caboose of a train vanishing into the distance,“ says Railway Age Contributing Editor Bruce Kelly. “So take pictures now. Make mental and written notes. Today’s experiences become tomorrow’s history, treasured images, words and memories that we appreciate so much more as the years roll by.“
In conclusion, what does Santa Claus really want for Christmas? The AAR provides us with the answer in this short but inspiring video clip:
From all of us at the Simmons-Boardman Rail Group—Railway Age, Railway Track & Structures and International Railway Journal—Happy Holidays, and a happy, prosperous and safe 2024.
