North-American rail

C.H. Robinson Worldwide is putting 500 new intermodal containers into its U.S. shipping network as the freight broker seeks to add greater flexibility in shifting business between modes.

The government might give railroads another five years to install costly crash-avoidance technology because the industry is on track to miss its end of 2015 deadline.

Major North American railroads plan to spend some $16 billion this year on network improvements, but those projects will come with a higher cost price for shippers.

Norfolk Southern Railway and CSX Transportation are expanding their eastern U.S. intermodal rail networks, with new routes, facilities and services expected this year.

RailAmerica this week announced the acquisition of a Michigan short-line railroad, a Northeast short-line railroad and a transload operator for $58 million.

The time to switch the tracks and prevent Canadian Pacific Railway from barreling toward a proxy fight is over.

Canadian Pacific Railway saw fourth-quarter profit rise 19 percent year-over-year to $221 million, but the railroad’s operating ratio worsened as management faces pressure from an activist inves

Canadian National Railway’s profit in the fourth quarter rose 17.7 percent year-over-year to $584 million, as revenue jumped 12 percent to a record $2.3 billion on stronger pricing and freight t

Higher intermodal, coal and general merchandise volumes helped Norfolk Southern increase net profit 19 percent to $480 million in the fourth on $2.8 billion in sales.

Kansas City Southern Railway saw fourth-quarter profit skyrocketed 84.6 percent year-over-year to $95.6 million, as the railroad’s 11 percent jump in revenue set quarterly and annual records.

CSX Transportation extended its strong pricing power into the fourth quarter, giving the freight railroad a $457 million net profit to close a year that saw earnings grow strongly despite diminishing

Canadian Pacific Railway signed a 10-year agreement this week with Canpotex to haul the majority of the major potash exporter’s shipments to a terminal in Vancouver.

There’s nothing like the threat of “nuclear winter” to spur Canadian Pacific Railway to become more profitable faster than planned.

Locomotive maker GE Transportation, part of General Electric, increased revenue 45 percent in 2011 to $4.9 billion on rising demand for equipment and services.

Intermodal volume hauled by major U.S. railroads surged 7.4 percent year-over-year in the week ending Jan.

Union Pacific raised its net profit nearly 18 percent in 2011 to $3.3 billion on a 15 percent year-over-year increase in operating revenue to $19.6 billion.

Rail equipment provider GATX is showing strong confidence in the U.S.

Canadian Pacific Railway, demonstrating a drive to increase profitability while beset by a proxy war, will spend up to $1.2 billion on capital improvements over the next several years.

Trucking giant Schneider National and CSX Transportation signed a multiyear contract expanding their intermodal partnership in the Eastern U.S.

Several decades ago, U.S.

Intermodal volume for major U.S. railroads fell 9.3 percent year-over-year in the week ending Jan.

Short-line rail operator Genesee & Wyoming increased carloads 7.9 percent year-over-year in the fourth quarter, although traffic in December was up only 0.6 percent compared with December 2010, th

Musket Corp.

Norfolk Southern Railway is positioned to gain more than 150,000 carloads of annual business from nearly $9.5 billion in facility investment made by shippers, particularly coal customers, near the rai

An activist hedge fund investor said he will wage a proxy battle to replace the top leadership of Canadian Pacific Railway after the railroad's directors rejected his attempt to tap a former Canadian

CSX Transportation stands to gain more than $230 million in annual

Canadian Pacific Railway directors unanimously rejected the push by an activist hedge fund investor to replace the company’s CEO with the former chief of rival Canadian National Railway.

Coal exports may account for less than 10 percent of U.S. production, but strong demand from overseas buyers proved critical for domestic mining companies facing weak utility markets in 2011.

Economic growth was disappointing in 2011 and a strong rebound is unlikely in 2012, but North America’s railroads will continue to outperform the overall economy, especially in the intermodal se

A collision of three CSX Transportation trains caused a massive chemical fire and possible hazardous chemical spill Friday afternoon in northwest Indiana, according to published reports.

Three unions representing railroad workers this week ratified contracts with major U.S.

Rising rail freight and equipment demand sent revenue soaring at railcar and barge maker Greenbrier in the last quarter, strengthening the company’s profits.

Major U.S.

Short line and regional freight railroad holding company Patriot Rail Corp. has announced a restructuring of its operations management team, effective Jan. 1, 2012.

Stifel Nicolaus downgraded the stock of Union Pacific from “buy” to “hold” Tuesday despite the investment research firm forecasting higher earnings for the rail giant.

GE Transportation acquired rail industry software developer RMI from The Carlyle Group, expanding its transportation software and optimization business.

U.S.

With freight rail efficiency pretty much at its limits in stacking containers vertically, railroads increasingly are looking for improvements in the other direction.

CSX Transportation said it will start on-dock rail service at the Virginia Port Authority's APM Terminal in Portsmouth on Jan. 3.

OOCL and Canadian National Railroad this became the first two carriers of their respective industries to share their manifest data directly with the Customs and Border Protection’s Automated Com