Freight Rail

2019 U.S. rail carloads decreased 4.9%, or 668,075 carloads, to 12,992,404, compared to 2018’s 13,640,641, which was up 1.8% over 2017. Intermodal containers and trailers, were down 5.1%, or 740,240 units, to 13,732,570.

The sale of Darien, Conn.-based short-line railroad carrier Genesee & Wyoming Inc. (G&W) to Brookfield Infrastructure Partners, a global infrastructure company in the utilities, transport, energy, and data infrastructure sectors in North and South America, Asia Pacific, and Europe, and investment firm GIC, which was announced in early July, was made official this week.

Rail carloads, at 955,579, slipped 7.5%, or 77,166 carloads, compared to November 2018. Intermodal containers and trailers, at 1,019,766, were off 7.4%, or 81,138 units, annually.

A letter sent today to Senate and House leaders, for the Senate Subcommittee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the House Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and House Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials, from leadership at the Washington, D.C.-based Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI), a non-profit libertarian think tank, in advance of the Surface Transportation Board’s (STB) December 12-13 hearing on railroad revenue adequacy, raised concerns over what it called the potential for the STB to use...

Rail carloads, at 248,905, fell 5.1%, and intermodal units, at 266,364, slipped 6.7%.

In this white paper, we explore the key challenges that could surface when the pendulum swings, show how TMS serves as a trusted partner in helping companies through those fluctuations, and hear from one shipper that’s well braced for whatever the economic environment brings in 2020.

Rail carloads––at 1,055,386––fell 4.6%, or 50,672 carloads, annually, and intermodal units––at 1,089,849––were down 5.4%, or 61,839 units.

CN said that the Massena rail line is comprised of more than 220 miles of track between Valleyfield (Quebec) and Woodard (New York), adding that the line serves other cities in Quebec, including Beauharnois and Huntingdon, in addition to New York-based Massena, Norwood, Potsdam, and Gouverneur.

Rail carloads, at 261,031, fell 5.3%, and intermodal containers and trailers, at 271,452, slipped 6.5%.

Rail carloads, at 261,194, were off 3.9% annually, and intermodal units, at 271,996, slipped 4.6%.

Rail carloads-at 261,706-were down 3.5% , and intermodal units-at 272,792-slipped 5.3%.

Rail carloads––at 220,759––fell 8.2%, and intermodal units––at 227,700––were off 6.9%.

The freight railroad sector is replete with many moving parts, including hauling various types of freight commodities and intermodal goods, as well as what is viewed as a very active regulatory environment. And there are other things, too, including technology, policy, the sector's role in the over all economy, among other things. To help put everything into perspective

While USMCA has still not been formally signed into law, it has the attention of the freight railroad sector, to be sure. And that was presented in a very detailed letter sent to the Members of the United States Congress from the Association of American Railroads (AAR) and its undersigned Class I freight railroad members.

The Surface Transportation Board (STB) recently announced that its Rate Reform Task Force completed a report with its recommendations for potential changes to the STB’s rate review processes and methodologies. Established in January 2018, the STB’s Rate Reform Task Force was tasked with recommending improvements to the STB’s existing rate review processes, as well as to propose new rate review methodologies “that are more attuned to the realities of the current transportation world.”