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Investigation finds high water linked to fatal train derailment in Manitoba
Winnipeg, MB – A Transportation Safety Board investigation into a fatal train derailment in northern Manitoba has found the track in the area was neglected and susceptible to heavy rain and high water levels. The report released Thursday said there…
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Union Pacific predicts 25% drop in volume because of virus
Omaha, NE — Union Pacific’s first-quarter profit improved 6%, but the railroad expects shipping volume to plummet 25% in the second quarter because of the ongoing coronavirus outbreak. The railroad said Thursday it earned $1.47 billion, or $2.15 per share,…
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Canadian Pacific lowers guidance for 2020 as it faces fallout from virus
Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd. has significantly lowered its financial guidance due to the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, saying a drop in crude oil and automotive shipments will outweigh gains in grain traffic. The company forecasts that revenue ton miles…
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Broken rail suspected in two fiery Saskatchewan train derailments
Guernsey, SK — The Transportation Safety Board suspects a broken rail was the cause of two fiery train derailments on the same stretch of track in rural Saskatchewan. An advisory to Transport Canada posted on the board’s website recommends improving safety standards…
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Railways confronting a tough year ahead as volumes drop amid looming recession
Montreal, QC — Canada’s two main railways face a bleak year ahead as a looming recession weighs on freight volumes. Carloads fell more than 17 per cent year over year last week, part of a growing decline in shipments since…
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Garneau revises speed limit rules for trains carrying dangerous goods
Ottawa, ON — Transport Minister Marc Garneau is entrenching lower speed limits for trains hauling large amounts of crude oil or liquefied gas through urban areas, but relaxing the definition of “higher risk” trains that are subject to the stricter…
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CN Rail notches record grain movement for March as it clears blockade backlog
Montreal QC — Canadian National Railway Co. hit an all-time record for March grain movement. Chief operating officer Rob Reilly says the 2.62 million tonnes of grain is a 6.1 per cent increase from 2017, the previous record for March.…
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Rail volumes continue to slide: AAR
Washington, DC — Canadian railroads continue to be affected by COVID-19, with rail traffic volume declining last week. According to the Association of American Railroads (AAR), for the week ending March 28, 2020, Canadian railroads reported 79,775 carloads for the…
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COVID-19 Operations: CN
Dear Valued Customer, We are contacting you in the wake of yesterday’s announcements in the Provinces of Quebec and Ontario calling for non-essential businesses to close no later than midnight tonight, March 24th, and to stay closed through April 13th…
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North American intermodal traffic down due to COVID-19
Washington, DC — Intermodal traffic in North America took a hit due to the COVID-19 virus, with the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reporting a 10 per cent drop for the week ending March 14. “Intermodal, rather than other rail…
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Minimal hit to economic growth from rail blockades, PBO says in new report
Ottawa, ON — Parliament’s spending watchdog says a series of rail blockades last month will leave a minimal dent in the pace of economic growth. The report today estimates the blockades will shave two-tenths of a percentage point off economic…
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CN Rail says petroleum coke spilled into creek after freight cars derail in B.C.
Prince George, BC — Canadian National Railway says 27 cars of a freight train derailed Thursday, spilling some of its freight into a creek in northern British Columbia. Jonathan Abecassis of CN Rail says “a small amount” of petroleum coke spilled into…