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“As we enter fall harvest and approach peak holiday shipping for intermodal, BNSF operating teams remain focused on maintaining positive performance momentum and delivering consistent service,” the Class I railroad wrote in a Sept. 26 online notification to customers. “This week, we moved our first new-crop soybean train out of Montana, kicking off the season.”

For the week ending Sept. 20, the railroad said that overall car velocity was “essentially unchanged” from the prior week and it is nearly 3% higher than the average level for August (see chart, top). Average terminal dwell improved compared with the previous week and month, according to BNSF, which added that the local service compliance metric “remains consistently above 90%.”

“Rail operations are normalizing on our Northern Transcon route following a derailment that occurred on Wednesday night [Sept. 24] in northwestern Minnesota,” the railroad said. “As reported, the incident took place near Dilworth, approximately five miles east of Fargo, N.Dak. Both main tracks were out of service while crews worked at the scene. Thanks to the hard work of BNSF teams, the first main track reopened within 12 hours, and service on the second track was restored last night. “

As part of a capital expansion update for customers, BNSF reported recently completing two major capital projects and advancing another that is designed to improve fluidity and increase capacity.

At the Fort Worth Subdivision in Texas, BNSF finished a multi-year project to double-track an eight-mile segment between Lake Wanda and Bredenberg, just north of downtown Fort Worth. Located between the railroad’s Alliance facilities and Tower 55, this high-traffic corridor connects to the Wichita Falls Subdivision. BNSF said the new double track improves network efficiency and capacity on one of its busiest routes.

This year at BNSF’s Phoenix Subdivision in Arizona, the railroad built a new 10,000-foot siding at Congress and extended the Tucker Siding to 10,000 feet. These improvements, it reported, “help reduce congestion and enable trains to move more efficiently in both directions.” Together, they improve fluidity and velocity for traffic moving to and from Phoenix and connecting with the Southern Transcon.

As part of a multi-year initiative to expand capacity on BNSF’s Needles Subdivision in California, the railroad said it is making progress on installing triple track and signals on an 11-mile segment beginning approximately 50 miles east of Barstow. Expanding capacity on this vital Transcon corridor “supports consistent service and long-term growth,” according to BNSF. This segment is scheduled to enter service next year.

• BNSF Intermodal: We’re Going Where Markets Are Growing
• BNSF’s Intermodal Container ‘Matchmaking’ Program a Win-Win-Win
• We’ve Got This: BNSF Ready to Support Agricultural Producers for Successful Harvest
• BNSF Leads Rail Industry in Innovation With More Patents Than All Other Class I Railroads Combined

In September 2024, Hurricane Helene brought historic flooding and unprecedented damage across the Southeast, impacting both communities and critical infrastructure. One year later, NS on Sept. 26 reported that it worked closely with first responders, neighbors, local businesses, and others to restore service safely and reconnect communities.

“Recovery has been a shared effort,” it said. “Together, we’ve worked to restore critical connections that sustain local economies and maintain the flow of commerce that communities depend on.”

In the days immediately following the storm, NS said crews worked around the clock to repair damage, remove debris and get freight moving safely again. They reopened all core routes affected by the storm within 72 hours of landfall, clearing more than 15,000 trees, deploying more than 400 generators, and repairing multiple washouts.

In March, NS and its contractors completed the Newport bridge replacement, which the railroad called “a critical step in restoring rail service in and out of Asheville, N.C., for the first time since the storm.” Built to modern specifications and designed to last at least 100 years, the new rail bridge reconnected a key western portion of the AS Line, which links Eastern Tennessee and Western North Carolina, according to NS. “Its replacement gave the community hope as residents welcomed it as a sign of return to normalcy post-hurricane,” the railroad reported.

NS also provided direct assistance to employees and their families as they navigated the storm’s aftermath while continuing to serve their communities. In addition to the railroad’s annual disaster relief support, it donated $500,000 to the American Red Cross for immediate and long-term recovery needs in the wake of Hurricanes Helene and Milton.

“Hurricane Helene tested the strength of our communities and our railroad, and I’m proud of how we responded,” NS Operating Officer John Orr said. “Our teams, first responders, and local partners worked shoulder to shoulder to restore service safely and support those in need. I’m deeply grateful for the grit and character of our people and the partnerships that helped us come through stronger together.”

“The speedy replacement of the Newport bridge, despite challenging conditions in the wake of the storm, exemplifies the NS team’s commitment to reliability, resilience, and investment in the communities we serve,” noted Ruth Brown, Chief Engineer Bridges and Structures for NS.

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• NS, UP Leveraging Louisville
• USDOJ Stops Hitting NS with Crescent Wrench

The post Class I Briefs: BNSF, NS appeared first on Railway Age.

“Bright sparks flew on Sept. 25 as Stadler’s brand-new welding facility in Salt Lake City opened, delivering the first locally welded aluminum car body in the company’s North American history,” Stadler reported Sept. 26.

Aluminum car bodies are now being welded on-site rather than shipped from Stadler’s welding facilities in Europe.

“With the new welding facility and car body production, Stadler is further strengthening its domestic content creation in the U.S., increasing it to around 80%,” Stadler said. “Of the remaining 20%, a large proportion of supplies come from Europe. Stadler is currently analyzing all supply chains with the aim of further reducing the proportion of foreign components.” The company noted that since 2016, the Buy America Act has required it to “demonstrate that at least 70% of its value creation is generated in the USA if U.S. tax money is used for financing the project.”

Stadler’s new 50,000 square-foot welding hall will employ up to 20 new local welders and technicians by the end of 2026. During this “ramp-up phase,” the company said its top welding experts from Hungary are on-site in Salt Lake City “to share best practices and ensure a seamless transfer of expertise.”

“We set out to build more than just trains,” said Martin Ritter, CEO of Stadler North America, which earlier this year announced it would operate as an independent division. “We’re building economic opportunity, stronger supply chains, and a future where American-made trains are synonymous with world-class quality. Today, our welders are proof that it can be done.”

“This facility is a shining example of what can happen when global expertise meets local ambition,” said Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall, who attended the grand opening event with other local officials, community leaders, and Stadler team members. “With the opening of this new welding hall, [rail]car bodies will be manufactured locally. That means jobs, innovation, and a more sustainable future.”

Stadler is said to investing more than $70 million to expand its existing manufacturing facility in Salt Lake City’s Northwest Quadrant, with support from the Utah Inland Port Authority. The expansion project is slated to double the size of the existing facility, adding 245,000 square feet to accommodate two new assembly halls, the new welding facility, sandblasting booth and train battery charging station.

Bussnang, Switzerland-based Stadler established a Utah location in 2016, after Trinity Metro in Texas ordered eight four-car FLIRT DMUs (diesel multiple units) for the launch of TEXRail commuter rail service in 2019. Work on the expansion project began in October 2024, following contract awards from Trinity Metro for four more DMUs and from Utah Transit Authority for up to 80 low-floor CITYLINK light rail vehicles for Salt Lake City’s TRAX modernization project.

Among Stadler’s other U.S. projects: 23 KISS EMUs(electric multiple units) are operating at Caltrain in California; a hydrogen fuel cell (HFC)-powered FLIRT H2 train is currently in test on Metrolink’s Arrow line between San Bernardino and Redlands, Calif., where it will run alongside existing FLIRT DMUs; and eight DMUs are being tested for Dallas Area Rapid Transit’s (DART) Silver Line commuter rail service. Also, Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) in 2019 awarded Stadler a contract to supply 127 two-car rapid transit trainsets with options for up to 50 additional sets, and earlier this year California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) exercised an option for six additional zero-emission HFC FLIRT H2 trainsets; Chicago’s Metra ordered eight two-car zero-emission, battery-electric (BE) single-level trainsets; and Sepulveda Transit Corridor Partners selected Stadler and Siemens Mobility to provide railcars and signaling technology, respectively, for a rail proposal to ease congestion on the I-405 (Sepulveda) corridor between Los Angeles’ San Fernando Valley and Westside.

Further Reading: Stadler Opens New U.S. Signaling Division Office

Don’t miss Light Rail 2025, to be presented by Railway Age and RT&S on Oct. 1-2 in Pittsburgh, Pa. It will offer a comprehensive review of the specialized technical, operational, environmental and socio-economic issues associated with light rail transit (LRT) in an urban environment. On Oct. 2, Hans Cruse, Sales Manager LRV/North American Streetcar Market for Stadler Rail, will be sharing a case study on “Green Technology Applications for Light Rail.”

The post Stadler Opens SLC Welding Facility appeared first on Railway Age.

The MTA on Sept. 27 announced adjustments to proposed fare policies that are scheduled to be voted on by the MTA Board on Tuesday, Sept. 20. These changes, the MTA says, are being proposed following an extensive public comment period in which 1,378 comments were submitted from customers, advocates, and elected officials across the service area.

Under these revisions, the fare cap for seven days of unlimited travel on subways and buses using tap and ride would be lowered from $36 to $35. This equates to a less than 3% increase from the current price for a weekly pass. After 12 paid trips in any seven-day period, customers would automatically get unlimited free rides the rest of the week, as they do today.

After listening to feedback from commuter rail customers who expressed concern over the previously announced four-hour validity window on the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) and Metro-North tickets, all one-way mobile and paper commuter rail tickets will instead expire at 4:00 a.m. the following day, “ensuring customers can still get home, even if their plans change.”

Additionally, the “family fare” program, which allows up to four children to ride commuter rail lines for $1 each with a fare-paying adult, will be expanded to include children 17 and under (currently 11 and under). The family fare program would also be valid at any time of day all week.

Fares would no longer increase on Metro-North Railroad West of Hudson service, including Pascack Valley and Port Jervis lines.

After proposed fare changes were first announced in July, the MTA held an extensive, six-week public comment period. Three public hearings were held in person and online via Zoom. Additional comment sessions were held in 22 locations across the MTA’s service area, including subway stations, commuter rail stations, and mobile sales vans. Comments were also accepted through an online portal, phone hotline, e-mail, and the postal service. These efforts resulted in four times as many comments as were received in 2023, when fares were last increased.

 The 2025 MTA Operating Budget, approved by the Board in December 2024, assumed a fare and toll increase would occur in March 2025. The MTA is delaying the fare and toll increase to January 2026 to align with the launch of full tap and ride on subways and buses. The MTA Board is set to vote on these new proposed adjustments, as well as the previously announced fare and toll increase, during their monthly meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 30. 

BART on Sept. 26 announced that it has completed the installation work on a milestone project that the agency says is already making the system safer. Next Generation Fare Gates are now in place at all 50 BART stations. BART promised to complete installation by the end of 2025 but beat that deadline by four months with the final gates being installed in August.

“This is the latest in a string of victories for riders that are transforming the daily BART experience,” said BART General Manager Bob Powers. “Since last year we have boosted our visible safety presence in the system, increased cleaning, gone to running only Fleet of the Future trains, became the first transit agency in the Bay Area to offer riders Tap and Ride, and now we have installed state-of-the-art fare gates that are already deterring unwanted behavior. Our riders say they want a system that is safe, clean, and user friendly, and we are responding with decisive actions.”

The number of riders who say they’ve witnessed someone fare evade on their trip has dropped by more than 50% in just the last year, according to BART. In the latest Quarterly Performance Report, only 10% of riders said they saw someone fare evade. That’s down from 22% in the first quarter of Fiscal Year 2025. Reports of fare evasion have been dwindling as Next Generation Fare Gates have been installed at more stations, the agency noted.

“The completion of the Next Generation Fare Gates project marks a major step forward in modernizing our system and enhancing the rider experience,” said BART Board Vice President Melissa Hernandez. “These new gates improve accessibility, safety, and efficiency, and reflect BART’s commitment to investing in the future of public transit across the Bay Area.”

The gates feature a unique door locking mechanism that makes their swing barriers very hard to push through, jump over, or maneuver under. The overall fare gate array height (gate, console, integrated barrier) forms a barrier of 72 inches minimum to deter fare evasion.

“The gates deployed by BART are the only ones of their kind in the world,” said Sylvia Lamb, BART Assistant General Manager for Infrastructure Delivery and head of the fare gates project “Our team did incredible work to beat the installation deadline by several months. Now we will benefit from lesson learned over the last year through the experiences of hundreds of thousands of riders to focus on making these gates even more resilient.”

Upcoming work, BART says, will focus on the full utilization of advanced sensors to make it harder for those who want to “piggyback” into the system by closely following behind paying riders.

BART replaced 715 fare gates across a system that spans five counties.

WMATA on Sept. 26 announced a strong close to fiscal year 2025, achieving $120 million in savings while delivering record ridership growth and national recognition for service excellence.

According to the agency, WMATA customers took 264 million trips, a 9% increase over FY24 and 16% above budget projections, generating $462 million in passenger revenue. Rail ridership rose to 139 million trips and bus reached 124 million, both well above projections.

“Metro continues to prove that we can deliver safe, frequent, and reliable service while managing costs responsibly,” said WMATA General Manager and CEO Randy Clarke. “This year we moved more people, saved more money, and reinvested in the system our region depends on. These results show what’s possible when efficiency and the customer experience go hand in hand.”

WMATA ended FY25 with $120 million in total savings, including $28 million in one-time operating reductions and $92 million reinvested in the Six-Year Capital Program. The agency says it closely managed operating expenses through a cost efficiency task force that implemented recurring savings of $50 million, wage freezes for non-represented employees and two of WMATA’s largest unions saving $38 million, along with service optimization for $20 million in savings.

FY25 also marked major system improvements and industry honors. WMATA was named Outstanding Public Transportation Agency by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) and received the International Sanitary Supply Association’s inaugural Spotless Space of the Year award.

Key accomplishments included:

• Launch of the Better Bus Network and Tap. Ride. Go. contactless fare payment.
• Reintroduction of Automatic Train Operation (ATO) for the first time in 15 years.
• Modernization of faregates at all 98 Metrorail stations and installation of new fareboxes on 1,500 buses.
• Deployment of 185 new MetroAccess minivans and 49 next-generation vehicles.
• Major rail fleet maintenance, including scheduled work and wheelset replacement on 358 7000-series railcars.

“Prudent stewardship of resources and a spirit of innovation have contributed significantly to Metro’s success this past year,” said WMATA Board Chair Valerie Santos. “We are proving that smart, accountable management leads to better service and real results. The path ahead requires stable, dedicated funding—so we can build on this progress and deliver a world-class system for our communities.”

In FY26, WMATA says it will be “building on last year’s strong performance” by adding peak Metrorail capacity to address ridership growth, opening earlier on weekend mornings and closing later on weekend late nights and extending half of Yellow Line trains to Greenbelt in December. Also, in FY26, the agency will be extending Tap. Ride. Go. to Metrobus, “while continuing to modernize and improve efficiency.” At the same, WMATA emphasized the urgent need to address the capital funding cliff in FY26, “warning that a long-term funding solution is essential to sustain modernization and system reliability.”

Montrealers may face more transit disruptions in the coming days as the STM and the maintenance workers’ union continue negotiations amid a strike, according to a CityNews Montreal report.

According to the report, on Saturday, Sept. 27, the STM received a proposal from the union regarding part of the collective agreement’s normative clauses. However, the STM says, “the offer did not take into account the financial challenges or the operational realities of the transit system and showed no real progress.”

In response, the STM has submitted a counterproposal “aiming to bring both parties closer to an agreement.” Negotiations are scheduled to continue on Monday, Sept. 29, according to the CityNews Montreal report.

“The STM negotiation committee says it has the full authority and expertise to reach a fair deal with the union. The transit agency is firmly committed to the negotiation process and is making every effort to avoid a strike,” according to the report.

According to the report, if the maintenance workers’ union decides to continue with its planned strike, it could last until Oct. 5. The STM is urging passengers to plan their trips carefully and stay updated by visiting their website.

The post Transit Briefs: NYMTA, BART, WMATA, STM appeared first on Railway Age.

Although the U.S. economy showed mixed signals in August, “growth and consumer spending remained positive, while inflation stubbornly remained above target,” according to ITS Logistics’ latest supply chain report. “As of now, a recession doesn’t appear imminent, but momentum is clearly slowing, and economic uncertainty continues to rise heading into Q4. This news comes just as industry professionals prepare for the onset of the domestic logistics peak season, further evaluating strategies related to tariff arbitrage, assessing de minimis opportunities, seeking new warehouse locations throughout the U.S., and evaluating the trucking sector’s capacity gains.”

The September ITS Supply Chain Report confirms that containerized imports at the top 10 U.S. ports fell 4.1% month-over-month in August 2025, with sharp declines at key West Coast gateways offset by gains at Seattle, Savannah, and Norfolk. The mixed results, ITS says, “reflect both seasonal trends and shifting trade patterns as shippers respond to tariff uncertainty. Import volumes remain above pre-pandemic levels but show heightened sensitivity to policy changes, including the recent repeal of the de minimis exemption on low-value parcels and the upcoming U.S.-China tariff truce expiration.”

According to a recent article from Supply Chain Dive, “the end of the de minimis exemption has the potential to create new challenges for ecommerce supply chains’ peak season plans.” The exemption, which ended on Aug. 29 for imports in the U.S., allowed those valued under $800 to enter the country duty- and tax-free. Eliminated to combat drug trafficking and prevent importers from avoiding tariffs, it was initially expected to end on July 1, 2027, “thereby leaving many direct-to-consumer marketplaces scrambling to adjust their peak season strategies. Now that it has been completely eliminated, companies are struggling to adjust their operations ahead of the Q4 holiday shopping rush.”

“We’re now seeing ecommerce companies implement a tariff arbitrage strategy in response to the ongoing changes in global trade,” said Josh Allen, Chief Commercial Officer of ITS Logistics, a Nevada-based third-party logistics (3PL) firm. “These companies include everything from the luxury sector on down to those that provide what are considered to be lower-valued goods. This strategy is being leveraged to mitigate shifting tariff impacts and keep overall costs down for their consumers. It is a genius evolution in how companies are adapting to the economic impacts of tariffs and global supply chain management overall.”

As confirmed by CNBC, the business model, formally referred to as business-to-business-to-consumer (B2B2C), “is changing the way retailers handle orders placed by consumers on a company’s website. Transactions are being routed to a wholesale platform as the middleman. For the consumer, the process is essentially seamless from purchase to receipt of the merchandise, and for the retailer, the difference in paying tariffs on wholesale prices as opposed to retail prices ranges from 30% to 60%. Despite the clear positives from the newly adopted strategy, some logistics experts are concerned that ‘tariff hacking’ is not a sustainable long-term strategy and will ultimately not be able to keep inflation down.”

“Inflation has decreased from peaks but remains above the Fed’s 2% target and rising expectations risk making it more persistent,” continued Allen. “In August, core inflation was 3.1% which signals sticky underlying inflation, remaining above the Federal Reserve’s usual 2% target. The 2.9% headline rate is the highest since January 2025, and the rise above 2.7% and a stronger month-to-month increase (0.4%) suggest inflation picked up pace in August. As a result, consumer confidence in August 2025 showed a slight decline.”

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) confirmed this week that the full impact of U.S. tariff hikes “is still unfolding, but the U.S. and global economies are expected to continue losing momentum in 2026 as higher tariffs take an increasingly large toll on activity. As companies further leverage this newly adopted tariff arbitrage strategy—especially during peak seasons with returns—U.S. warehouses will need to be utilized more by retailers in strategic parts of the U.S. to avoid sending products back from overseas, thereby incurring a new tariff fee.”

This month’s index, ITS Logistics reports, highlights the modest Producer Price Index (PPI) increase in August, “indicating a small but notable upward movement in costs or prices within the warehousing and storage industry. This relatively minor change suggests that the sector experienced stability with no significant disruptions occurring between July and August.”

“As a result, businesses that rely on warehousing and storage services should anticipate slightly higher costs moving forward, particularly those with contracts that contain variable labor or utility components. As for the trucking sector, spot and contract rates continue to see minimal shifts at the onset of peak season. The ongoing capacity gains since January, combined with easing price growth at the start of peak season, suggest an ongoing softer truckload environment,” Allen added.

The Port of Vancouver on Sept. 26 announced that it moved record volumes of Canadian trade in the first six months of 2025, “delivering vast quantities of made-in-Canada grain, energy and fertilizer exports to diverse world markets against a challenging geopolitical backdrop.”

The port’s mid-year cargo statistics show a 13% increase in cargo moved between January and June 2025, compared to the same six-month period last year—with a record of more than 85 million metric tons (MMT) of cargo handled. Port of Vancouver terminals handled nearly 20% more international trade than a year ago, as surging exports of Canadian crude, canola oil, grain, potash and coal to markets worldwide. Containerized trade over the first half of 2025 remained steady, while cruise and auto volumes eased following record performances in 2024.

“Canadians and their businesses depend on the Port of Vancouver to buy and sell the products they manufacture, farm, mine and stock their shelves with,” said Peter Xotta, President and CEO of the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority.

“As Canadians navigate a moment in time like no other, I want to acknowledge the port community and our supply chain partners for rising to the occasion and moving record trade volumes so far this year. The Port of Vancouver has a critical role to play in meeting the moment as Canadian businesses seek to sell more of their products to more customers outside of the U.S.,” Xotta added.

The Port of Vancouver is Canada’s largest and most diversified port—already connecting Canada with more than 170 global economies and moving as much cargo as Canada’s next five largest ports combined. More than 80% of the trade through the Port of Vancouver is Canadian trade with countries other than the U.S.

Bulk exports of Canadian commodities were strong in the first half of the year, including record volumes of crude oil exports, and robust volumes of canola oil, grain and potash exports from Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta.

• Crude oil exports surged by 365% to almost 12 MMT, with Trans Mountain’s expanded pipeline and terminal coming into operation in May 2024. Approximately 60% of these record volumes went to China, while other markets including the U.S., South Korea, Singapore and Japan all surpassed their full-year 2024 volumes early in the first half of 2025.
• Canola oil exports were up 72% to 0.7 MMT in the first six months of 2025, as the port connected Canadian producers with new overseas markets and helped offset lower U.S. and Chinese demand. Export markets for canola oil grown throughout Western Canada expanded from four in 2024 (China, U.S., South Korea, Peru) to 12 in the first half of 2025, with new and returning markets including Belgium, Malaysia and Mexico.

Port operators also moved near record volumes of bulk exports of Canadian grain, fertilizer (potash, sulphur) and coal. Grain was up 8% to reach its second highest half year on volumes on record (behind 2021), including wheat up 16% and canola seed up 12%. Increased volumes of canola seed went to Japan, while new markets such as Mexico, Netherlands, France, Bangladesh, Bulgaria helped offset the impact of Chinese tariffs.

Potash was up 26% to reach its second highest half-year result on record after 2019 as the fertilizer product recovered from a slowdown in 2024, while sulphur was up 5% and coal down 2%.

“For decades, and prior to tariff threats, along with our partners we’ve been working hard to grow trade capacity to meet demand. Today, our growth plans and partnerships are purpose built to help Canada rise to the occasion and get made-in-Canada products to more customers,” said Xotta. 

“We all win when we work together. For example, we’re using new tech and tools to facilitate thousands of ship movements a year—allowing us to improve visibility in how goods are moving through the port, better coordinate with supply chain partners and add capacity. Our Active Vessel Traffic Management Program, combined with ongoing collaboration, has meant the port has been able to smoothly integrate Trans Mountain’s expanded volumes over the past year while also enabling CN to increase rail service to the busy North Shore trade area by 10%,” Xotta added.

The Port of Vancouver’s four container terminals moved 1.88 million 20-foot equivalent units (or TEUs) at mid-2025, with mid-year volume growth of 6% driven largely by Canadian trade. It was the second highest volume of containers moved at mid-year, after 2021’s record of 1.94 million TEU, according to the Port.

“Containerized trade—like the Canadian economy—has shown remarkable strength and resilience so far this year in the face of U.S. tariffs and global uncertainty,” said Xotta.

“More and more, we are seeing Canadian businesses turn to containers to securely trade goods with world markets. With containerized trade through the port on a long-term growth trajectory, Roberts Bank Terminal 2 is uniquely positioned to deliver for Canada. We are advancing towards a final investment decision soon for the nation-building project, which will unlock an additional $100 billion a year in West Coast trade capacity and enable Canadian businesses to win even greater market share overseas.”

The Port of Vancouver’s cruise sector had just more than 130 cruise ship calls and 500,000 passenger visits between March 5 and June 30—down compared to 2024’s record-breaking year, but still strong as Canada Place cements itself as one of North America’s premier homeports.

“Canada Place is now regularly seeing upwards of 300 cruise ship calls and 1.2 million passenger visits every year—injecting around $1 billion into the economy and supporting jobs and local businesses throughout the region,” said Xotta. “We are honoured to partner with countless cruise and destination partners to ensure Canada Place remains a premier homeport serving the popular Alaska market—together we are making Vancouver cruise shine and creating jobs for Canadians.”

Each cruise ship visit to the Canada Place cruise terminal at the Port of Vancouver injects about $3 million into the local economy, according to an Economic Impact Study released by the port authority in 2024. 

Auto volumes eased 3% to 241,000 units, down slightly compared to last year’s record and the third highest volume for the port. Nearly 100% of Canada’s Asian-manufactured vehicle imports arrive via the Port of Vancouver, with work to optimize the Annacis Auto Terminal and increase its capacity by one-third being completed earlier this year.

Foreign breakbulk volumes were down 8%, due to forestry exports continuing a trend towards containers and metal imports falling slightly. Domestic volumes—largely comprised of local movements of logs, sand and gravel—decreased.

The post Intermodal Briefs: ITS Logistics, Port of Vancouver appeared first on Railway Age.

As part of its efforts to modernize the I-95 rail corridor, CSX closed the 125-year-old Howard Street Tunnel for reconstruction in February. The project sought to allow for double-stack intermodal service through the tunnel by increasing the vertical clearance and addressing 22 obstructions located along the corridor. This double-stacking is a “more cost-effective way to transport rail” than via trucks, reduces traffic congestion along I-95, and reduces emissions. At the time, CSX chief engineer of bridge design and construction Ed Sparks said, “This is a tremendous opportunity to alleviate a restriction on our network and open up new opportunities for CSX.”

Over the summer, CSX documented its work on the project where crews removed and lowered 3,400 feet of flooring along the 8,700-foot-long tunnel, originally built from 1890-1895. As CSX worked to “combine modern engineering solutions with strategic planning to overcome logistical challenges,” crews continued to remove rail, excavate, and lower the track profile. At North Avenue Bridge, Guilford Avenue Bridge, and Harford Road Bridge, crews noted these sections required a different approach because of obstructions located beneath the bridges. The ability to adapt to these challenges “demonstrate[d] the adaptability of the construction team, ensuring optimal results across diverse project sites.”

CSX announced the reopening of the bridge on September 26, marking the event as a “historic milestone” due to the project successfully eliminating a bottleneck along the I-95 corridor. Completed on budget and ahead of schedule, the project delivers “a long-sought boost to Maryland’s economy and the national supply chain,” the Class I notes.

“The completion of the Howard Street Tunnel reflects the dedication of our people — a once-in-a-generation achievement that will drive commerce, jobs, and growth across Maryland and the East Coast for decades. . . This project reinforces CSX’s position as a high-performing, customer-focused railroad investing for profitable growth,” said Joe Hinrichs.

Throughout the course of the project, crews spent more than 450,000 man hours worked with 175 field craft, 20 subcontractors, and 40 salaried supervision staff. For 233 consecutive days, crews worked to install 1,128 dewatering well points, place 1,188 precast invert slabs (PCIS, and install 14,276 linear feet of wall drain. Additionally crews placed over 4,000 cubic yards of concrete and over 24,000 cubic feet of grout. The Class I states that over 25,000 cubic yards of excavated material were removed from the tunnel, and more than 78,000 linear feet of temporary electrical cable was installed. Below is a gallery of images, courtesy of CSX, that show crews working in the tunnel.

“With the Howard Street Tunnel’s reopening, CSX is now able to unleash the full strength of our network ahead of schedule, removing a long-standing volume constraint along the I-95 corridor,” said Mike Cory, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at CSX. “Even while navigating this and other major infrastructure projects over the last year, CSX has maintained the strong performance that customers have come to rely on. With this project now complete, our network is stronger than ever, underscoring the adaptability of our system and strength of the ONE CSX culture.”

The post CSX Reopens Howard Street Tunnel appeared first on Railway Age.

With tariff troubles hitting the Chinese market and Mississippi River water levels a continued challenge, America’s soybean farmers are keeping all their options open. As part of that, soybean farmer leaders were in Houston Sept. 24 to present a ceremonial check in the amount of $275,000 to The Andersons Inc. for its expansion project at the Port of Houston. Once completed in first-quarter 2026, the expansion will enable the export of soybean meal from the facility.

By investing in the Port Houston project, soybean farmer leaders are addressing several major priorities of the soybean industry:

• Increasing soybean meal export capacity: One of the significant developments in the U.S. soybean industry continues to be the investment in processing facilities in order to produce more soybean oil for renewable fuels. The additional production of soybean oil will result in an additional production of soybean meal. While much of this additional soybean meal will be consumed by the domestic livestock industry, it is increasingly essential to invest in additional export capacity to connect with international markets.

• Increasing resilience of the supply chain: Given the continued challenges the soybean industry has experienced with low water conditions on the Mississippi River, notes the Soy Transportation Coalition, it is important to promote diversity of the supply chain by “spreading the eggs across more baskets.”

The soybean meal that will be shipped to the facility at the Port of Houston will be transported via BNSF or Union Pacific. It will not utilize the inland waterway system.

• Diversifying international markets: Given the significant challenges confronting soybean exports due to the curtailment of the Chinese market, it is imperative to pursue “base hit” marketing opportunities for soybean meal and soybeans. The identified markets for the Houston export terminal are: Middle East/North Africa, the Caribbean, Latin America, and Asia.

In presenting the ceremonial check to officials with The Andersons Inc., Mike Koehne, a farmer from Greensburg, Ind., and chairman of the Soy Transportation Coalition, explained, “As stewards of the funding through the soybean checkoff program, my fellow soybean farmers and I are constantly exploring any opportunity to increase the profitability of our industry. The Andersons’ soybean meal and grain export facility at the Port of Houston is an excellent example of an investment that will help accomplish many of our major priorities. Most soybean farmers in the U.S. are located hundreds of miles or more from our coastal regions. This geographic distance is a challenge we must overcome if we are to compete in the international marketplace. We would like to express our appreciation to The Andersons and the Port of Houston for investing in the supply chain that allows farmers like me to be successful.”

With storage capacity of 6.3 million bushels, the Houston facility supports the export of more than two million tons of grain annually and will include up to 22,000 tons for storing soybean meal for export.

Additional upgrades will include a new conveyance system to seamlessly transport goods from storage to the ship loaders, as well as a new ship loading tower to increase the efficiency and speed of loading.

The Andersons projects that the primary states that will feed the soybean meal to their facility will be: Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, and Nebraska. It is possible other states will feed into the facility as well given the expansion of soybean processing throughout the country.

Because the facility at the Port of Houston will result in greater resiliency of both international marketing and the supply chain, the following soybean farmer organizations contributed a total of $275,000 toward the project:

• United Soybean Board
• Soy Transportation Coalition
• Iowa Soybean Association
• Kansas Soybean Commission
• Missouri Soybean Merchandising Council
• Nebraska Soybean Board

The funding will be used for research, analysis, pre-engineering, and design expenses associated with the facility expansion at the Port of Houston. The Andersons, the owner of the facility, will assume the costs of the actual construction of the project.

The ceremonial $275,000 check was presented to The Andersons by a group of soybean farmer leaders at a luncheon at Port Houston’s headquarters. The group also received a tour of the export terminal and an update on the expansion project.

“We sincerely appreciate the opportunity to work with soybean farmers on this important investment,” said Matt Dvorak, Houston business manager at The Andersons. “As domestic soybean crush increases, we are identifying new opportunities for the export of soybean meal via our Houston facility. We look forward to working with the Soy Transportation Coalition and the broader soybean farmer community on this project, which will help connect U.S. soybean meal with international customers.”

The post Soybean Farmers Invest in New Port Houston Export Facility appeared first on Railway Age.

The American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) on Sept. 29 announced that six new mechanical training courses, delivered in two pathways, are now available in the Short Line Training Center’s online Learning Management System (LMS). All six courses have been approved by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) as Part 243 compliant, as each includes required documentation such as an On-the-Job Training (OJT) checklist and exam.

Each of the following pathways contain three modules:

• ASLRRA – Part 215, Subpart B – Freight Car Truck Suspension learning path includes learning and assessment modules for Nomenclature, Train Yard Inspections, and AAR Inspections.
• ASLRRA – Part 231 – Freight Car Safety Standards learning path includes learning and assessment modules for Box, Flat and Tank Cars.

A seventh module released earlier this quarter, Part 214 Supplemental Training, may be customized by a railroad and used to train contractors on railroad-specific on-track safety procedures and rules, rounding out 35 learning programs that are currently available via the LMS to short line railroads, according to ASLRRA.

“The Short Line Training Center is exceeding expectations on its mission of delivering affordable and accessible safety training to short line railroads,” said ASLRRA President Chuck Baker. “The Center meets short line railroads exactly where they are—from online delivery of necessary training to employees and customizable training for contractors, to hosting the mobile training center classroom with locomotive simulators on their property, to applying virtual reality and other modern training techniques. More than two dozen railroads have already signed on, delivering training to more than 1,200 short line employees.”

According to ASLRRA, some courses are available in a standard SCORM format, making them accessible to users of third-party LMS platforms via a SCORM Cloud hosting service. Railroads not using the Short Line Training Center’s LMS may license select programs, such as the interactive Part 214 Railroad Workplace Safety training course, for as little as $50 per person trained.

“Serving the short line industry by providing training that would not otherwise be affordable or accessible to small railroads is truly a privilege,” said Mark Vaughn, Senior Manager Training for Iowa Northern Railway Company (IANR), a partner in the development and management of the Short Line Training Center. “High-quality technical training demands extensive expertise, time, and resources— commitments that can be especially challenging for smaller railroads. The Short Line Training Center addresses those needs by delivering consistent, cost-effective programs and providing streamlined record keeping tools that support safety and compliance.”

The Short Line Training Center is a collaborative project created by the ASLRRA and IANR and funded through a Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvement (CRISI) grant. The Short Line Training Center includes the LMS and Regulatory Training Courses plus a Mobile Technical Training Center equipped with two Type II Locomotive Simulators and two additional simulators permanently located at the IANR training center in Waterloo, Iowa, all of which will deliver essential regulatory, compliance and safety training and materials to railroad employees. A total of 30 online and instructor-led training programs will be delivered during the grant period.

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CSX Transportation announced on Monday that CEO Joe Hinrichs had departed and was being replaced by Steve Angel. The sudden change came without explanation and just days after Hinrichs celebrated his third anniversary at the helm of CSX. 

The transition comes as CSX is coming under increased pressure to respond to Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern’s proposal to merge. Some investors had called for Hinrichs to forge a merger partnership with either BNSF or CPKC, or resign. However, so far, CSX has opted for collaboration instead of a merger. 

In CSX’s announcement of Angel’s appointment, officials wrote that the new CEO was an expert in guiding companies through “significant transformation.” Angel previously led Linde plc, a chemical company, and General Electric. 

“We are excited to welcome Steve as our new CEO. He is a visionary in creating long-term value and an expert in guiding companies through significant transformation. The Board conducted a very targeted process, and Steve was the clear choice to lead CSX,” said John Zillmer, Chairman of CSX. “The Board is laser-focused on advancing CSX’s strategic priorities and maximizing shareholder value, and we are confident Steve has the right skillset, expertise, and background to help us deliver our next phase of growth.”

While it seems most of UP and NS’s competitors wanted to avoid additional mergers — and are vocal against the UP-NS deal — shifting opinions in Washington D.C. might mean they have little choice. Earlier this month, President Donald Trump was asked what he thought of the proposed merger and said it “sounds good to me.” While the president does not have the ability to approve or deny mergers, the White House appears to be putting its thumb on the scale in support of the merger, most notably with the dismissal of Robert E. Primus at the U.S. Surface Transportation Board. Primus was notable for being the lone vote against the CPKC merger in 2023. 

—Justin Franz 

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