| Daily news coverage of the railroad industry |  |
| Industry Update |  |  |
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- Transportation consultant sees 2013 as railroads' "bridge year"
Tony Hatch, an independent transportation analyst and consultant, sees 2013 being "one terrific bridge year for the rails." Hatch cites increasing optimism among the railroads' CEOs, "terrific safety levels," and increased capex as some signs that this year will be a bridge year, while the Class I's wait for recovery in the farm belt and completion of the energy transformation. Progressive Railroading
(2/2013)     
- Class I's help fund rail upgrades at Texas port
BNSF, Kansas City Southern and Union Pacific will contribute funds to expand rail capacity expansion projects at the Port of Corpus Christi in Texas. A $48 million project at the port recently finalized funding, and construction is expected to start within two years. The projects will ease freight congestion and allow the port to handle more shipments due to drilling activity in the Eagle Ford Shale region, according to the port authority. ProgressiveRailroading.com
(2/13)
| Infrastructure & Economic Spotlight | | |
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- LaHood responds to Obama's "Fix-it-First" program
Outgoing Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood expressed his appreciation for President Barack Obama's proposal to create a "Fix-it-First" program. "President Obama knows what we at DOT also know: fixing the roads, rails, bridges, ports, transit systems, and other transportation assets most in need of attention will create jobs and help our businesses compete more effectively," LaHood said. The Hill/Transportation blog
(2/13)
- Freight TSI records second month-on-month increase, says BTS
The volume of freight shipments carried by for-hire transportation carriers, including railroads, climbed 1% in December 2012 compared to November 2012, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics' Freight Transportation Services Index. The index also saw a 1.7% increase between October and November, making December the second consecutive monthly rise, BTS noted. Supply Chain Management Review
(2/13)
| Energy & Environmental Watch | | |
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- BNSF's service to Ala. ethanol terminal to reduce delivery costs
Blendstar's $17 million ethanol terminal served by BNSF that opened in December in Birmingham, Ala., is expected to cut delivery costs, said Todd Becker, president and CEO of Green Plains Renewable Energy, which owns BlendStar. "The faster unloading will provide cost economies that hopefully will be passed on at the pump," Becker said. AL.com (Alabama)
(2/13)
- Iowa Pacific expands crude-by-rail network in N.M.
Iowa Pacific Holdings partnered with LogiBio to expand crude-by-rail options near Lovington, N.M., to open a terminal along the Texas-New Mexico Railroad line. "With the rapid expansion of oil drilling and production over the past few years, producers and traders have found shipping crude oil by rail to be a very viable alternative to pipelines and trucks," said Bruce Carswell, Iowa Pacific vice president of Permian Basin logistics. ProgressiveRailroading.com
(2/13)
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Norfolk Southern's intermodal facility in Memphis, Tenn., builds the area's status as a "big player in 21st century transportation and distribution," according to this editorial. "The expanded intermodal shipping and receiving station, combined with the city's improved railroad lines and the growing shipping activity on the Mississippi River, allows Memphis to compete against any city in the country when it comes to moving goods," the editors wrote. 
