Railcars in Storage Spike in May

After hovering around the 400,000-unit mark all year, railcars in storage spiked 25% in May to 520,729. This was the one of many takeaways from the Association of American Railroads’ (AAR) June report.

Mexico’s Auto Industry in Unprecedented Crisis Due to Coronavirus

Mexico’s auto production could fall by 30% in 2020 while exports may slide 33%, according to Fausto Cuevas, director general of the Mexican Association of the Automotive Industry (AMIA), during a video press conference Monday.

Pandemic's Impact on Imports Easing

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on major U.S. retail container ports appears to be easing slightly, with projected imports remaining below last year's levels but not as much as previously forecast, the National Retail Federation (NRF) and Hackett Associates announced yesterday.

US Wood Pellet Exports Reach 595,166 Metric Tons in April

About once a year, someone pens a North American rail merger column. Why not one from a rail economist? This is not a “will happen” projection. It’s a strategic scenario question.

ASLRRA Taps Lynch as VP of Congressional Affairs

The American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) hired Tom Lynch as vice president of congressional affairs.

International News

New Alternatives in Intermodal Transport

More alternatives are now available in intermodal transport between Turkey and Europe. Despite strong intermodal alternatives between Turkey and Europe, pandemic and opening of Marmaray tunnel for freight encouraged even more.

PKP Cargo Launches New Trains Between Poland and Italy

PKP Cargo Connect, a subsidiary of PKP Cargo, has launched new rail freight services between Poland and Italy. They provide a reliable link from important hubs as Gdańsk and Małaszewicze to the Italian junction of Piacenza. The new connections depart from the termini three times per week.

UWC Signs Tank Car Contract With Slavneft-YANOS

United Wagon Company (UWC) has signed a contract with Slavneft-YANOS for tank cars for the transportation of molten sulphur. Slavneft-YANOS is one of Russia’s biggest oil refineries. The tank cars will sit on 25t axle-load bogies. UWC will deliver on this contract in late October 2020.