America is still mired in recession, but the railroad industry continues to show financial strength. Most railroads over the past week reported strong improvements in profit and operating efficiency for the first quarter 2011. Stocks of Union Pacific and Kansas City Southern [...]
Norfolk Southern reported a 26 percent increase in profit for first quarter 2011 versus first quarter 2010. This follows a 45 jump in NS profit for calendar-year 2010. NS CEO Wick Moorman said the railroad intends to add some 1,100 new workers during 2011, returning employmen [...]
California’s Amtrak-operated Pacific Surfliner and San Joaquin routes are due for an equipment upgrade following a Federal Railroad Administration $100 million direct grant to the California DOT (Caltrans). Amtrak operates the routes under contract to Caltrans. The mone [...]
Notwithstanding severe winter weather that caused rival Canadian Pacific’s profit to plunge 67 percent, Canadian National reported a 31 percent increase in first quarter 2011 profit versus first quarter 2010. This comes following a 19 percent increase in CN profit for c [...]
Due to changes in the financial services markets, the UTU is no longer able to offer a UTU-branded credit card. Over the years, these UTU-branded cards generated much-needed funding for the union’s education and training fund. Servicing of former UTU credit card account [...]
China’s effort to lead the world in high-speed rail development appears to be moving forward at the expense of safety, reports The Washington Post. The Chinese government, reports the newspaper, has ordered all high-speed trains to reduce their top speed from some 220 m [...]
We know all too well that alcohol consumption and drug use can imperil our jobs. But how about off the job; and how about family members? The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reports more than 600,000 emergency room visits annually due to alcohol or drug problems; [...]
By UTU International President Mike Futhey In a horrendous March accident in Kelso, Wash., a conductor trainee and a locomotive engineer were killed when the carrier-provided shuttle van in which they were riding was struck by a moving train at a private highway-rail grade cr [...]
Kansas City Southern’s first-quarter 2011 profit was almost double that of the first quarter 2010, the railroad reported April 22. This followed an 82 percent increase in profit for calendar-year 2010. The employee headcount remains constant at 6,080. The railroad did n [...]
Canadian Pacific Railway reported a sharp drop in profit for the first quarter 2011 compared with first quarter 2010, citing severe winter weather. CP said its 15,143 employee count increased by 613 during the quarter, but gave no indication of whether it would add employees [...]
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