Archive for July 2020
Intermodal volume props up U.S. rail traffic
(Source: Freight Waves, July 9, 2020) CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — A 7.7% increase in weekly intermodal traffic gave U.S. rail traffic its smallest year-over-year decline in months. U.S. rail traffic for the week ending July Fourth totaled 437,989 carloads and intermodal units, a 2.4% drop from the same period in 2019, according to the Association of…
Read MoreAppropriations bill would block Amtrak service reductions
(Rail Passengers Association press release, July 8, 2020) WASHINGTON, D.C. — House appropriators with jurisdiction over transportation programs gave Rail Passengers another significant victory today, releasing a draft Fiscal 2021 proposal boosting regular Amtrak appropriations, setting aside at least $26 billion in additional emergency grant funds for Amtrak and public transportation, and tying the money to…
Read MoreLabor union presses railroads on additional coronavirus measures
(Source: Freight Waves, July 9, 2020) CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — The Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division (BMWED), a U.S. rail labor union affiliated with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, wants the freight railroads to privately mandate the testing and tracing of the COVID-19 virus among employees after the recent deaths of several members. Full…
Read MoreTriMet to close Steel Bridge for MAX light-rail work
(Source: Progressive Railroading 07/09/2020) The Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon (TriMet) next month will temporarily close the Steel Bridge over the Willamette River in Portland to perform major repairs to the MAX light-rail system. The upper deck of the 108-year-old bridge will be closed Aug. 2-29 while improved lift joints and locks, new switches and signal…
Read MoreU.S. freight-rail traffic slipped 2.4 percent in Week 27
(Source: Progressive Railroading 07/09/2020) U.S. freight-rail traffic declined 2.4 percent to 437,989 carloads and intermodal units during the week ending July 4 compared with the same week a year ago, according to Association of American Railroads (AAR) data. Carload volume decreased 12.7 percent to 192,767 units, while intermodal volume rose 7.7 percent to 245,222 containers and trailers…
Read More