Archive for March 26, 2020
NTSB: Undetected cracks in tank car led to ethanol release in CSX yard
(Source: Progressive Railroading 03/26/2020) The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) determined earlier this week that an Archer Daniels Midland Co. rail tank car, while stationed at a CSX rail yard in Fredericksburg, Virginia, released denatured ethanol — a flammable hazardous material — from undetected cracks in the bottom of the tank car’s shell. About 68 gallons of the material…
Read MoreRail Conference seeks benefit improvements in stimulus bill
(Source: Progressive Railroad 03/26/2020) The Teamsters Rail Conference has asked Congress to improve railroad retirement unemployment and sickness benefits as part of the stimulus package to provide economic relief to Americans who are not able to work during the coronavirus pandemic. The conference’s March 24 letter to congressional leaders is part of a larger effort by all rail labor…
Read MoreFreight-rail traffic in Week 12 reflects falling demand for certain products
(Source: Progressive Railroading 03/26/2020) U.S. freight-rail traffic tumbled 8.6 percent to 459,966 carloads and intermodal units during the week ending March 21 compared with the same week in 2019, according to Association of American Railroads (AAR) data. Impact of the coronavirus pandemic may be influencing rail traffic patterns, as railroads logged 224,048 carloads, down 5.4 percent, and…
Read MoreShort lines seek temporary waivers from FRA due to coronavirus
(Source: Freight Waves, March 25, 2020) CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — A handful of short line railroads are asking the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to exempt them from conducting random alcohol and drug tests on employees because of concerns related to the coronavirus pandemic. Full story: Freight Waves Thursday, March 26, 2020
Read MoreAAR: “We may have seen the worst of COVID-19’s impacts on Asian trade”
(Source: Railway Age, March 25, 2020) NEW YORK — The Association of American Railroads (AAR) released U.S. rail traffic for the week ended March 21, 2020, and it contained some much-needed good news: The worst of the coronavirus’ effects on Asian trade may be over. Full story: Railway Age Thursday, March 26, 2020
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