Supply Side: Chart Industries/Ballard, Knorr-Bremse/Irdeto, TRAC Intermodal, Wabtec
Six major companies in the railway and intermodal supply space have reported developments in joint ventures and charitable works.
Breaking News
U.S. Senators Eye RRIF Program Improvements
Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.) and Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) have reintroduced the Railroad Rehabilitation and Financing Innovation Act to provide dedicated funding for RRIF financing costs, streamline the application process, and extend loan terms for certain assets.
People News: Sound Transit, Quandel, Railroad Consultants
Seattle’s Sound Transit appointed a Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer; Chicago rail and transit firm Quandel Consultants elevated three employees to Senior Director roles; and Railroad Consultants, PLLC hired a Chief Operating Officer, based at its Murfreesboro, Tenn., headquarters.
WhatsApp at Metro-North
MTA Metro-North Railroad passengers can now communicate with the railroad in real time via the popular social media messaging platform WhatsApp.
Pandemic Challenged BNSF in 2020; Railroad ‘In Good Hands’ for 2021
Despite a 7% decline in volume, BNSF’s profit margin increased by 2.9 percentage points in 2020, Warren Buffet, Chairman of the Board for parent company Berkshire Hathaway, told shareholders.
Canadian Auditor General: Transport Canada Safety Oversight Lacking
Canada’s Auditor General, the equivalent of the U.S. Government Accountability Office, recently released a report criticizing Transport Canada (TC), the equivalent of the Federal Railroad Administration, as to its overall effectiveness overseeing rail safety.
AAR: Railroads ‘Stand Ready’ to Combat Climate Change
The Association of American Railroads (AAR) has published a position paper encouraging lawmakers “to embrace economically grounded, market-based solutions” as they consider reductions in transportation sector emissions.
FRA Releases Face Mask Emergency Order
The Federal Railroad Administration has published an Emergency Order (EO) requiring employees involved in freight and passenger rail operation under the agency’s safety jurisdiction to wear face masks as of March 1.
Avoiding the Cascading Technology Trap
As the railroad industry is going through its digital transformation—such as implementing broadband communications and applications that leverage Cloud technologies, including Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) for operational and commercial purposes—we are finding there is a clear lag in the deployment of technologies vs. what technologies enable. We call this the cascading technology trap or “The Trap”: Technologies are evolving at a significantly faster pace than the ability of organizations to adapt.
Pan Am Railways Sale Advancing to STB
CSX is submitting an application to the Surface Transportation Board (STB) to acquire the Pan Am System, including Pan Am Railways (PAR) and its 50% stake in Pan Am Southern (PAS), the Class I railroad reported Feb. 26.