Freight Rail

During this podcast, Jeff Berman, Group News Editor for Logistics Management and the Peerless Media Supply Chain Group, interviews Ian Jefferies, President and CEO OF the Washington, D.C.-based Association of American Railroads (AAR).

​With Calgary-based Canadian Pacific (CP) recently announcing it plans to acquire Kansas City Southern (KCS) for $29 billion, in a deal that will establish the first freight railway connecting the United States, Canada, and Mexico, leadership at the Surface Transportation Board (STB) said today it received a “notice of intent” about the proposed transaction.

Following confirmation by the United State Senate in November, the Surface Transportation Board (STB), an independent adjudicatory and economic-regulatory agency charged by Congress with resolving railroad rate and service disputes and reviewing proposed railroad mergers, formally welcomed Michelle A. Schultz and Robert Primus to serve as new STB Board members.

Rail carloads—at 192,494—were off 22% annually, and intermodal containers and trailers—at 240,677 units—were down 9.6% annually.

While United States motor carriers have received a well-deserved amount of praise over the last six weeks, of the COVID-19 pandemic, by moving freight such as medical supplies, PPE equipment and gear, groceries, and other essential goods, another mode of freight transportation, namely railroads, have also gone above and beyond in helping and aiding Americans in various ways.

Rail carloads—at 198,726—were down 23.8% annually, and intermodal containers and trailers—at 213,777—saw a 20% annual decline.

Rail carloads—at 226,039—fell 5.9% annually, and intermodal units—at 236,978 units—slipped 9.1%.

STB officials said that this rule amends regulations that govern class exemptions for certain miscellaneous commodities like paper products and steel scrap, and boxcar transportation to clearly state the demurrage continues to be subject to STB regulation, with this modification reflecting longstanding court and agency rulings that these exemptions do not apply to the regulation of demurrage.

Rail carloads—at 227,447—fell 9.1%, and intermodal units—at 251,690—decreased 8%.

Rail carloads—at 232,116—fell 4.2% annually, and intermodal containers and trailers—at 252,213 units—were off 8.8%.

Rail carloads—at 1,165,733—decreased 5.9%, or 73,110 carloads, annually, and intermodal containers and trailers—at 1,245,080 units—decreased 5.4%, or 71,081 units.

Rail carloads—at 232,217—were down 6.7% annually, and intermodal containers and trailers—at 252,965 units—dropped 7.4%.

Rail carloads—at 239,119—were down 10.1% annually, and intermodal trailers and containers—at 262,505 units—slipped 9.1%.

Rail shippers in the Northeast will soon be able to enjoy more efficient movements now that more than $100 million in final funding has been secured to enlarge the 125-year-old Howard Street tunnel under Baltimore.

For the week ending January 4, U.S. rail carloads, at 215,564, slipped 2.8% annually, and intermodal units, at 198,450, fell 7.4% annually.