General Information
Portland activists block rail line at Zenith oil terminal
(Source: Portland Tribune, April 21, 2019) PORTLAND, Ore. — Operations at Oregon’s only crude oil export terminal went off the rails on Earth Day weekend — after activists blocked all train traffic leading to the Northwest Portland facility. Extinction Rebellion protesters dumped topsoil and planted a “Victory over fossil fuels Garden” on and adjacent to…
Read MoreShippers: Show us the benefits of PSR
(Source: Freight Waves column by Jim Blaze, April 16, 2019) CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — Precision scheduled railroading (PSR) promised scheduled rail freight operations resulting in more than a financial gain for a railroad and its investors. The business theory is that operating efficiencies reduce costs and that improved rail discipline improves shipper service. Where is the…
Read MoreTrain crew bill A.B. 337 brings back what Nevada already had
By Jason Doering and Matthew Parker INDEPENDENCE, Ohio, April 15 — All day, every day, through cities, rural areas and everywhere in between, in Nevada as well as around our country, freight trains are rolling. In many cases, they’re the only practical way to safely transport hazardous chemicals, oil, hazardous waste, consumer goods, and vehicles…
Read MoreU.S. railroads’ carload volume up, intermodal down in Week 15
(Source: Progressive Railroading 04/18/2019) This year’s dip in U.S. rail traffic continued in Week 15, with railroads posting 528,167 carloads and intermodal units, down 1.2 percent compared with the same week in 2018, according to Association of American Railroads (AAR) data. U.S. railroads did post a 1 percent increase in carload volume for a total 260,800 units…
Read MoreUnion Pacific reports Q1 2019 results
(Source: Union Pacific press release, April 18, 2019) OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific Corporation today reported 2019 first quarter net income of $1.4 billion, or $1.93 per diluted share. This compares to $1.3 billion, or $1.68 per diluted share, in the first quarter 2018. “We delivered record first quarter financial results driven by improved operating performance,…
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