Weekly Digest Number 47 - November 24, 2020 |
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CSX employee fatally injured while working at Fostoria railyard |
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OSTORIA, Ohio — CSX announced on Sunday that one of their railroad workers was killed while on the job.
According to a statement sent to WTOL from CSX on Sunday, the worker was “fatally injured this morning while performing work this morning at our rail yard in Fostoria, OH.”
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Federal agencies probing cause of fatal train wreck in Prichard |
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According to police, the workers from Continental Rails Inc. and were repairing the track by replacing railroad ties on Tuesday afternoon. A Canadian National locomotive operated by employees of Alabama Export Railroad was headed toward the Alabama State Docks when it collided with the Continental Rails crew.
Police said Dexter Earl Scott, a worker from Laurel, Miss., died in the accident. The police report lists the engineer, James Elder, as a "suspect." Authorities added, though, that there is no criminal investigation at this time.
READ MORE HERE...
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Class I employment continues downward trend |
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All six employment categories logged decreases last month compared with September.
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Warren Buffett Explains Why He Bet Big on Railroads |
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"I felt like it was an opportunity to buy a business (BNSF) that is going to be around for 100 or 200 years, that's interwoven with the economy in a way that if the economy prospers, the business will prosper. It is the most efficient way of moving goods in the country, it's the most environmentally friendly way of doing so - and both of these things are going to be important. The biggest thing is: the United States is going to continue to do well...It moves a ton of goods 470 miles on one gallon of diesel. A train replaces 280 trucks on the road and emits far less into the atmosphere that's damaging."
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The once and future labor movement: Christian Wright Guest Columnist |
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One thing can re-balance and save America. That thing is a labor movement. But what does that mean?
It’s easier to lament problems than identify ways forward. It’s easier to suggest what we “should” do than to demonstrate what we can do. Especially when we are – let’s face it – a politically unrepresented working-class unaccustomed to confronting or exercising power.
Great changes happen, and silent populations storm history’s stages not because anyone suggests it. Rather, life propels action. Leaders and participants rise from slumber, cynicism and apathy because passivity amid escalating threats eventually becomes intolerable.
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Class I railroads expect to meet year-end deadline, then pursue post-PTC implementation advances |
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All seven Class Is expect to meet the deadline despite just a few lingering issues, including interoperability. Of the 220 tenant-host relationships impacted by PTC, a good majority were interoperable as of mid-October.
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Teacher protests in Mexico crimp Kansas City Southern's overall volume |
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Earlier this month KCS announced new priorities for its capital structure, including increasing its leverage ratio, repurchasing $3 billion worth of shares through the end of 2023, increasing its dividend by 10%, and putting 40% to 50% of its cash toward capital projects and 50% to 60% of its cash toward share repurchases and dividends.
KCS is on a pace to repurchase $969 million of its shares this year.
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TSB issues safety advisory as tunnel derailment investigation continues |
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The Transportation Safety Board (TSB) has determined that structural defects in some rail cars likely contributed to a derailment in the St. Clair River Tunnel over a year ago.
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CSX CEO not concerned about increased regulation under Biden administration |
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“Everything has come back, clearly faster than what I, personally, had expected,” Foote said Tuesday during his remarks at the Stephens Annual Investment Conference. “And that’s a good thing. The consumer economy has outperformed everyone’s expectations. We had two differing economic environments going into this. A very sluggish (industrial economy) for a year and a consumer economy doing very well.”
As the company looks at next year, it is not concerned about an increase in regulation coming due to the change in presidential administrations.
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More CN layoffs only if business slows dramatically during second wave, says CEO |
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CN Rail may only have to consider another painful round of layoffs if COVID-19's second wave causes shipping volumes to drop dramatically again, its chief executive said Wednesday.
"If the economy slows down we might have to have layoffs," Jean-Jacques Ruest said a day after marking the 25th anniversary of the government's privatization of Canadian National.
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Commentary: A different view of intermodal rail |
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Normally we view changes in the intermodal rail business as a series of national data, lane data or big railway company reports.
This report card is different.
This week we look at intermodal rail from the point of view of J.B. Hunt (JBHT stock symbol) as the enterprise.
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What Joe Biden’s Transportation Agenda Could Mean For Chicago |
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“We’ll build back better,” Biden said in August when accepting the Democratic nomination for president, referencing his campaign slogan. “With modern roads, bridges, highways, broadband, ports and airports, as the new foundation for economic growth.”
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Supply Chain Essential Functions: Critical need for national freight standards |
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All of the entities shown are critical to keeping supplies flowing:
Makers – such as manufacturers, packagers, and distributors – produce and direct goods through the transportation system.
Movers – such as ports, motor carriers, railroads, and third-party logistics providers – physically move or coordinate the movement of goods.
And Mobilizers –from hotels and fuel stops to spare parts makers and repair services – provide the support services necessary to keep the system functioning…
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Investigation report: nine recommendations for safer track works Network Rail |
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The British Rail Accident Investigation Branch released its report on the track workers that were struck by a train at Margam, Neath Port Talbot, on the 3rd of July 2019. Nine of the eleven recommendations were addressed to Network Rail for improving its safe work, planning processes and the monitoring and supervision of maintenance stage. Renewing the focus on developing the safety behaviours for everyone involved in the front-line of track maintenance.
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