U.S. Rail Traffic Boost Continues in First Week of 2024

For the week ending Jan. 6, 2024 (Week 1), total U.S. rail traffic was 417,257 carloads and intermodal units, rising 2.3% from the prior-year period, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported Jan. 10.

(R.J. Corman Image)

R.J. Corman Earns Two NRC Awards

The National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC) has recognized R.J. Corman Railroad Services with a 2023 Small Project of the Year Award for track construction at MxV Rail’s Facility for Accelerated

(BNSF Photograph)

For U.S. Rail Traffic, 2023 Ends on a High Note

The fourth quarter was “the best quarter of 2023 for U.S. rail volumes on a year-over-year basis,” AAR Senior Vice President John T. Gray reported Jan. 2. “It appears that intense rail efforts to improve service quality are paying off. Railroads are hopeful that gains in the fourth quarter will carry over into the first quarter of 2024 and beyond.”

(BNSF Photograph)

Week 51: U.S. Carloads, Intermodal Register Double-Digit Gains

U.S. rail traffic for the week ending Dec. 23, 2023 (Week 51), came in at 486,787 carloads and intermodal units, rising 24.2% from the same week last year, based on 230,946 carloads—up 23.7% from 2022—and intermodal volume of 255,841 containers and trailers—up 24.7%, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported Dec. 27.

Union Pacific International Railroad Bridge view from Piedras Negras, Mexico. Wikimedia Commons/Manuel Velez

Eagle Pass, El Paso Rail Crossings Resume Operations

Following five days of closures at Eagle Pass and El Paso, Texas, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced Dec. 22 the reopening of these key international crossings, according to an Association of American Railroads (AAR) release.

AAR: U.S. Rail Traffic Uptick Continues in Week 50

For the week ending Dec. 16 (Week 50), total U.S. rail traffic was 502,583 carloads and intermodal units, rising 7.6% from the prior-year period, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported Dec. 20.

Map showing the June 28, 2019, route of CN train M38331-27 the derailment location. (Source: Railway Association of Canada, Canadian Rail Atlas, with TSB annotations)

TSB: Railcar Structural Failure Led to 2019 CN Tunnel Derailment

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) on Dec. 18 reported that structural failure of a bathtub gondola car led to the 2019 derailment of a CN train proceeding through the CN Paul M. Tellier Tunnel en route from Sarnia, Ontario, to Port Huron, Mich. At the time of the accident, “there was no industry or regulatory requirement to periodically conduct a full inspection of the car to ensure it maintained its structural integrity,” the TSB reported. “As a result, its structural integrity deteriorated and this was not identified. …”

UP, AAR Take STB to Court Over ‘Final Offer Rate Review’ Rule

The U.S. Court of Appeals Eighth Circuit is hearing a case brought by Union Pacific (UP) and the Association of American Railroads (AAR) that challenges the Surface Transportation Board’s (STB) Final Offer

(Norfolk Southern Photograph)

North American Rail Volume Decline Continues Through Week 49: AAR

Through the first 49 weeks of 2023 (ending Dec. 9), total North American carload and intermodal traffic fell 2.8% from the same period last year, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported Dec. 13. The U.S. and Canada saw declines, while Mexico experienced a gain.

In a Dec. 6 letter to the House Committee on Homeland Security’s Chair Mark Green (R-Tenn.; right) and senior Democrat Bennie Thompson of Mississippi (left), 150 industry groups expressed their support of a bill that would streamline the background check process for government and supply chain workers.

Industry Groups Urge Passage of Transportation Security Screening Modernization Act

Calling for swift passage of the Transportation Security Screening Modernization Act, H.R. 5840 are more than 150 organizations, including the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA), Association of American Railroads,

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