Class I rail headcount levels drop further in June

(Source: Freight Waves, May 20, 2020)

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — Rail headcount levels in June reached a fresh low for 2020 as U.S. rail volumes were still recovering from the coronavirus-induced traffic declines from earlier in the spring. The number of employees working for U.S. operations of Class I railroads in mid-June totaled 116,128, an 18% drop from June 2019 and a 2.3% decline from May 2020, according to data that the railroads submitted to the Surface Transportation Board (STB). Within June’s overall total, headcount for train and engine employees, a category that tends to be more sensitive to market demand for rail, was 42,536 workers, a 28.6% decline from June 2019 and a nearly 2.6% drop from May 2020.

Full story: Freight Waves

Tuesday, July 21, 2020