The latest numbers from the American Association of Railroads may bode well for te overall state of the economy. Considered an important economic indicator, railroad volume hit its second straight weekly high. Intermodal traffic was up more than 24 percent over the same week last year, while container traffic was up almost 3 percent compared to the same time period. U.S. railroad volume was up 6.2 percent from the same week last year, but 11 percent off the comparable week two years ago, AAR said in its weekly report. Intermodal traffic, which tends to be Continue Reading

For the third consecutive month, the Freight Transportation Services Index posted a gain over the previous month. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics, the Freight TSI rose 0.3 percent in April over its March level. Though its year-to-year growth is nearly 5 percent, April numbers remain Continue Reading

Though a shift to moving freight by rail is gaining steam, one analyst says that too much of a shift would actually expend more energy, rather than conserve it. A report from research firm FTR Associates urges an examination of the entire transportation system, utilizing rail to help reduce emissions and holding it to stricter Continue Reading

By converting over 14 billion highway miles to rail, which would reduce CO2 emissions by almost 20 million tons and fuel consumption by nearly 2 billion gallons, the National Gateway, a multi-state public-private partnership will connect Mid-Atlantic ports to the Midwest. The group is touting its environmental benefits in Continue Reading

Citing benefits to both the economy and the environment, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey announced that major components of a $600-million ExpressRail project had been finished. This completion will make way for 1.3 million cargo containers to be shipped by rail, clearing state and local roads of about 3 million trucks. The projects were Continue Reading

The groundwork is being laid for a network of intermodal facilities, literally. At a ground breaking ceremony for the new Northwest Ohio Intermodal Terminal, CSX, a major supporter of the project, declared it the “future of our nation’s transportation infrastructure.” The Northwest Ohio terminal is just the first step. Existing rail corridors through Continue Reading

Though intermodal transportation has a price advantage over truckload carriers, major industry players believe that the latter will come out on top as supply chains shorten. Truckload carriers could see faster growth, they say, because of their speed and flexibility. Intermodal saw Continue Reading

Free from major rate and service restrictions, freight railroads have enjoyed higher profitability, record levels even in the past five years, thanks in part to the Staggers Act. But some organizations say is exploiting its monopolistic power, posting Continue Reading