Railroad News

The intermodal upswing continued last month, as U.S. railroads' intermodal volume grew 6.9 percent to 1,104,001 containers and trailers compared with February's volume.

However, the roads' carload volume slipped 0.3 percent to 1,028,141 units for the month. U.S. railroads reported a combined 2,132,142 carloads and intermodal units, marking a 3.3 percent increase over last year, according to Association of American Railroads (AAR) data.

Announcements for the latest round of Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grants continue to leak out, with $46 million worth of grants identified for projects in Maryland, Indiana and New Mexico.

Baltimore County, Maryland, was among the awardees. The county has received a $20 million TIGER grant to help TradePoint Atlantic redevelop a former Sparrows Point steel mill site.

Knoxville Locomotive Works (KLW) has chosen Rolls-Royce to provide MTU Series 4000 and 2000 engines for its SE Series four- and six-axle locomotive designs. Produced at the MTU America plant in South Carolina, the engines can deliver a power output of 1,050 to 3,218 horsepower, Rolls-Royce officials said in a press release. Each KLW model uses a single drive train system that consists of either an MTU Series 4000 or Series 2000 high-speed engine powering a traditional intermediate speed AR-10 Series alternator. In addition, KLW's locomotive configurations meet the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Tier 4 emissions standard. The MTU engines are ideal for the demands of switching and road-switching operations, said KLW President Jim Wurtz.

The Association of American Railroads (AAR) has certified TransRail Innovation Group's XLOAD sensor to begin pilot trials on tank cars shipping hazardous commodities such as crude oil and refined fuels. TransRail has begun pilot trials with four refineries and shippers in Canada and the United States. The digital sensor is used to measure and track commodities inside of moving tank cars. For example, shippers can use it to automatically detect, measure and report on the specific level and volume of crude oil that is loaded into a closed and sealed tank car. The sensor also could help shippers safely increase the volume of rail cars, which are often under-filled due to poor visibility of the commodity levels inside, according to a company press release.

Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) employees today joined the agency's police officers and fare enforcement workers to inform riders about new security initiatives.

The agency has assigned more police and security officers to some of its busiest locations. In addition, DART is deploying 29 contracted and uniformed security officers on rail platforms in strategic locations, with plans to add another 30 guards this year.

Norfolk Southern Railway has released its next generation of AccessNS, an e-commerce tool that enables customers to use a one-stop digital platform to conduct business with the railroad.

The revamped portal features faster functionality and a modern, intuitive user interface that's easier to navigate. By selecting digital "widgets," customers can create personalized dashboards that give them quick access to information they consider most vital to their logistics needs, NS officials said in a press release.

GE Transportation and the Port of Long Beach, California, have partnered to roll out a new data-based pilot program aimed at improving cargo flow.

As part of a two- to three-month pilot, GE will implement its Port Optimizer™ solution at the port's marine terminals, including the Long Beach Container Terminal.

Metrolinx and Infrastructure Ontario (IO) have issued a request for qualifications for firms to build and finance GO Transit's Lakeshore East-West Corridor expansion project in the Toronto area.

The project calls for infrastructure upgrades to accommodate the planned expansion of GO rail service on the Lakeshore East line.

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A House committee hearing yesterday on President Donald Trump's infrastructure proposal led to some tense exchanges between U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao and lawmakers from New York and New Jersey over the administration's support of the Hudson River rail tunnel replacement project.

Both Canadian Class Is today announced their efforts to improve grain shipments following extreme winter weather in February that affected the nation's grain supply chain.

The announcements were made in response to grain shippers' and producers' recent concerns about a growing backlog of rail shipments.

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) has begun testing three-car setups with its new Siemens-built light-rail units.

CSX execs accomplished the most important thing they set out to do March 1 at the railroad's long-anticipated Investor & Analyst Conference in New York City. Having already scooped themselves by unveiling their big buyback program and unveiling their 60 percent — down over 600 basis points (bps) — operating ratio (OR) target for 2020,  the CSX team revealed its management depth and competence, as well as its commitment to Precision Scheduled Railroading (PSR).