Domestic News
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Railcar manufacturer Greenbrier is eyeing a potential market recovery in the second half of 2021, provided that the COVID-19 pandemic doesn’t become worse. The Oregon-headquartered company shared its outlook as it announced that it sustained a net loss of $10 million, or 30 cents per diluted share, in its fiscal-year first quarter that ended on Nov. 30. |
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In a year roiled by a global pandemic, total combined U.S. freight-rail traffic fell 7.2% to 25,157,476 carloads and intermodal units during the 53 weeks of 2020 compared with the same period in 2019, according to Association of American Railroads data. U.S. carload traffic for the 12 months of 2020 totaled 11,482,059 units, down 12.9%, and 13,675,417 containers and trailers, down 1.8%. |
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On her Twitter page, Chao said it was an honor of a lifetime to serve the U.S. DOT. However, in a letter sent to colleagues at the agency Chao said she was deeply troubled over the events that took place in Washington, D.C. |
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Business groups forcefully condemned President Donald Trump for stoking supporters to attack the U.S. Capitol Wednesday and lawmakers for going along with the president’s debunked conspiracy claims about election fraud by trying to block certification of the Electoral College results. National Association of Manufacturers CEO Jay Timmons, a staunch supporter of Trump policies, issued a stunning rebuke of the president Wednesday and called for him to be removed from office. |
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With a new year and a new White House administration ahead, rail shippers and industry observers say these are some key issues they hope will be addressed soon. |
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UBS freight transportation analyst Tom Wadewitz sees a favorable freight setup in the first half of 2021. His expectations for the year were laid out on a conference call with clients Thursday reviewing his outlook report published earlier in the day. |
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American steelmakers and machinery producers surged on speculation that Democrats securing control of Congress paves the way for President-Elect Joe Biden to pass a wide-ranging infrastructure stimulus bill. Investors in the metal used in everything from skyscrapers to highways to bridges and tunnels are wagering that control of the House and Senate will give Biden the support he needs to make good on infrastructure and clean energy campaign promises. |
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To safeguard against this year's volatile market and maintain profits, the container shipping industry adopted certain capacity management measures like restricted services, blank sailings and re-routed vessels — leading to severe disruption in the normal repositioning of empty containers. And although projections indicate that maritime trade will recover and expand by 4.8% in 2021, it's becoming clear that disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic will have a lasting impact on the industry. |
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Finally, 2020 is over. We now have several vaccines to fight COVID-19, and the rapid distribution means life returns to normal sometime in 2021. |
International News
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CD Cargo awarded Českomoravská železniční opravna a locomotive conversion contract for the locomotives series 163 which will be transformed into dual-system locomotives series 363. Under the contract, 18 locomotives will be converted and equipped with the European Train Control System provided by ČD Telematika and AŽD Praha. |
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European fund manager STAR Capital Partnership has made a ‘significant’ investment in Rail Operations Ltd, which owns operating company Rail Operations Group, freight subsidiary Orion and rolling stock storage and disposal business Traxion. |
