By Eric Levitz for nymag.com For months, the world’s largest economy has been teetering on the brink of collapse because America’s latter-day robber barons can’t comprehend that workers sometimes get sick. Or so the behavior of major U.S. rail companies seems to suggest. Since last winter, railroad unions and the managers of America’s seven dominant freight-rail carriers have […]
Courtesy of Reuters.com Volume woes at U.S. railroad operators are set to spill into next year as labor shortages continue to hurt the sector that is critical in connecting consumers with businesses and finished goods, according to analysts. U.S. railroads have come under criticism from regulators and shippers for staffing cuts in pursuit of a […]
Written by David Nahass, Financial Editor for railwayage.com FINANCIAL EDGE, RAILWAY AGE MAY 2022 ISSUE: Sports journalists say they don’t root for teams; they root for stories. At “Financial Edge,” the circumstance is the same. There always needs to be something to write about. Nonetheless, at its heart, “Financial Edge” roots for the railroads. The […]
By Justin Franz for railfan.com After a fiery two-day hearing in Washington D.C., about the ongoing Class I service crisis, many in and out of the rail industry are asking “What’s next?” After receiving an avalanche of complaints from shippers and railroaders about the state of rail service, the U.S. Surface Transportation Board demanded that […]
‘There’s probably no elegant solution to structurally fix rail service’ By Joanna Marsh for freightwaves.com Service disruptions at the Class I railroads have come to a head in recent weeks, and shippers and the unions representing rail workers are clamoring for changes to the freight rail industry of a magnitude to match the disruptions. Some […]
Unions, ethanol and coal producers join grain shippers in push for STB to address rail service complaints By Joanna Marsh for freightwaves.com The Surface Transportation Board has scheduled a hearing for April 26-27 in response to a letter sent by the National Grain and Feed Association about worsening rail service. The March 24 letter has gotten support from various rail unions […]
Courtesy of progressiverailroading.com The U.S. House Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials earlier this week held a hearing on Surface Transportation Board reauthorization, with speakers testifying on the board’s role in improving rail service. Following are excerpts of some of those who testified. “Activist investors out to make short-term profits with the railroads have gotten nearly […]
‘Many things go undetected and it’s starting to show’ By Joanna Marsh for freightwaves.com Although almost all of the Class I railroads have been deploying precision scheduled railroading (PSR), an operational model that seeks to streamline operations, for several years already, a number of issues keep the debate over its value alive. The railroads have argued that […]
Written by Matt Parker for railwayage.com Editor’s Note: This opinion piece is in response to my invitation for “reasonable, fact-based, non-political opinions on Precision Scheduled Railroading by experienced railroaders from both the agreement and non-agreement sectors, to encourage discussion,” in response to “PSR Point/Counterpoint: Fortune,” published July 22 – William C. Vantuono An Oct. 3, 2018 article […]
Struggle to bring crews back draws scrutiny from regulators, who were already concerned about lean operations By Paul Ziobro for wsj.com America’s freight railroads are struggling to bring back workers, contributing to a slowdown in the movement of chemicals, fertilizer and other products that threatens to disrupt factory operations and hinder a rebound from the […]