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COWCATCHER MAGAZINE

Class 1 Railroads


Surface Transportation Board takes next step toward adopting latest proposed reciprocal switching rule

By TIM BLACKWELL/Cowcatcher Magazine The Surface Transportation Board has begun weighing comments from shippers and railroads regarding a proposed rule that would give rail customers access to reciprocal switching as a remedy for poor service. STB unanimously voted in September on The Notice of Proposed …

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New CPKC from Canadian Pacific-Kansas City Southern merger approved to start in mid-April

From News Releases The new CPKC, formed by last week’s Canadian Pacific-Kansas City Southern merger, is expected to begin operations April 14 but will be under the watchful eye of the Surface Transportation Board (STB). The STB concluded a lengthy review and approved the merger …

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Union Pacific, NS latest railroads to reach union agreements for paying workers for sick time

Updated March 3 Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern reached agreements in recent weeks with unions to pay workers for time off related to sickness. In February, NS reached deals with the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees, one of the industry’s largest unions, and National …

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CSX reaches agreements with two more unions on paid sick leave for railroad workers

Updated Feb. 10, 2023 CSX said on Friday that it has struck deals with two additional railroad unions to provide paid sick leave to its employees. The agreements were reached with the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM), which represents railroad machinists, and …

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Amtrak enters new era of passenger rail on heels of increased FY2022 ridership, capital investments

Amtrak entered a new era of passenger rail in October after ridership increased in FY2022 following two years of significantly lower boardings resulting from the pandemic. Ridership grew 89 percent in the fiscal year ending in September, while the nation’s passenger railroad restored and expanded …

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America returns to rails as U.S., Amtrak ridership levels surge, move closer to recovery from pandemic

By TIM BLACKWELL/Cowcatcher Magazine America is returning to the rails in earnest. U.S. passenger rail ridership is making a significant recovery from covid-19, which put the brakes on public transit and Amtrak in spring 2020. Boardings on national, regional and local networks from coast to …

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