Posts by William Wallace
AAR: Rail traffic up 4.3 percent over 2016 for week ending August 5
(Source: Association of American Railroads press release, August 9, 2017) WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending August 5, 2017. For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 554,822 carloads and intermodal units, up 4.3 percent compared with the same week last year. Total…
Read MoreSTB sets 2016 cost of capital
(source: Railway Age 08/10/2017) Written by William C. Vantuono, Editor-in-Chief The U.S. Surface Transportation Board has issued a decision determining the railroad industry’s cost of capital for 2016. In Railroad Cost of Capital—2016, Docket No. EP 558 (Sub-No. 20), the Board found that the rail industry’s after-tax cost of capital was 8.88% for 2016. For 2015,…
Read MoreNo injuries reported as 16 UP train cars derail in Topeka
(Source: Topeka Capital-Journal, August 9, 2017) TOPEKA, Kan. — A Union Pacific freight train derailed Wednesday morning just northwest of downtown Topeka, authorities said. No injuries were reported in the incident, which occurred about 7:15 a.m. just west of N.W. Crane and Topeka Boulevard. Full story: Topeka Capital-Journal Thursday, August 10, 2017
Read MoreSenator Schumer demands FRA, FMCSA reverse sleep apnea rule withdrawal
(Source: Railway Track & Structures, August 9, 2017) NEW YORK — U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) is asking the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to reverse the withdrawal of pending regulation that would require sleep apnea testing of workers in safety critical roles. Full story: Railway Track & Structures…
Read MoreUnion Pacific ranks No. 1 in Soy Transportation Council’s report card
(source: Progressive Railroading 08/09/2017) Union Pacific Railroad ranked as the top performer while Canadian Pacific ranked last in the Soy Transportation Coalition‘s (STC) seventh annual survey of Class I performance. UP was regarded as the top performing railroad for the fifth time. Survey respondents ranked CP in seventh place for the six year in a row, STC officials said in a…
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