Canadian Pacific reported first-quarter 2019 revenue of CA$1.77 billion grew by 6 percent and earnings rose about 3 percent during what company officials described as the one of the most challenging winters for the railroad in decades. Read more ...
Norfolk Southern sets multiple records in Q1, announces new appointments
Norfolk Southern Corp. today reported first-quarter 2019 net income rose 23 percent year over year to $677 million, as a result of a 16 percent increase in income from railway operations and a boost in other income. Read more ....
2019-6 Article 2
Ethanol Train Derails and Burns in Texas, Killing Horses and Spurring Evacuation
Early in the morning on April 24, an ethanol train derailed, exploded, and burned near Fort Worth, Texas, reportedly destroying a horse stable, killing three horses, and causing the evacuation of nearby homes. According to early reports, 20 tank cars left the tracks, with at least five rupturing and burning.
While specific details have not yet been released, it appears to be a unit train of ethanol using the federally mandated DOT-117R tank cars, based on the images showing tank car markings. This is now the third accident in North America involving the upgraded DOT-117R tank cars, all resulting in major spills of either oil or ethanol. Read more ...
2019-6 Article 3
NTSB issues safety alert on ‘fouling’ railroad tracks
Washington — Prompted by a fatal incident involving two railroad workers walking on tracks owned by another railroad company, the National Transportation Safety Board on April 9 issued a safety alert regarding “fouling.”
In the incident, which took place in June 2017 in Washington, a CSX conductor and a conductor trainee were struck from behind by an Amtrak train. The workers, according to NTSB, fouled the Amtrak tracks, which means they were close enough to another railroad company’s tracks to be struck by one of its passing trains or, in any case, within 4 feet of the nearest rail. After inspecting the CSX train’s equipment, the workers were walking on the end of the crossties of the Amtrak rail rather than on the ballast near the train they were inspecting. Read more ...
U.S. railroads' traffic volume fell 2.4 percent to 526,141 carloads and intermodal units for the week ending April 20 compared with the same week in 2018, according to Association of American Railroads (AAR) data. Railroads logged 262,011 carloads, down 0.9 percent, and 264,130 containers and trailers, down 3.9 percent compared with a year ago. Read more ...
