Industry Update

• NS helped spur $2.1B in industrial investment in 2012
  Norfolk Southern's U.S. rail network played an important role "in the location of 64 new industries and the expansion of 30 existing industries" last year, as its customers invested $2.1 billion, according to NS. Eventually, that investment will create "more than 6,100 jobs in the railroad's territory, in future years potentially generating more than 141,000 carloads of new rail traffic annually," NS said. RailwayAge.com (1/4)     

• UP: Rail industry is a "barometer of economic activity"
  Union Pacific recently went to Santa Teresa, N.M., to mark the final phase of a $400 million project. In an interview about the project, UP Senior Vice President of Corporate Relations Bob Turner discussed the rail industry as "a barometer of economic activity." Meanwhile, UP celebrated its 150th anniversary last year, and the event put special focus on UP employees, a critical factor in the railroad's success, said UP President and CEO Jack Koraleski. "After 150 years, we're at the top of our game," he said. "Not many companies make it to 150 years and, after 150, we're having the best year in our history." El Paso Inc. (Texas) (1/6), Star-Herald (Scottsbluff, Neb.) (1/3)     

• Mark Sidman named first general counsel at Anacostia Rail Holdings
  ProgressiveRailroading.com (1/4)     

Infrastructure & Economic Spotlight

• NAFTA trade value in October reached $85.3B, says DOT
  The value of surface trade among the U.S., Canada and Mexico reached $85.3 billion in October 2012, up 7.9% year-on-year, according to the Transportation Department. This is also 9.8% higher than September 2012 levels. Rail exports rose 6.8% to $5.4 billion, and imports climbed 7.9% to $9.5 billion, DOT noted. Transport Topics (1/4)     

• U.S. economy on steady but uninspiring course
  The picture of the U.S. economy that's emerging at this late date in the recovery is one of 2% annual growth in both gross domestic product and wages, and not enough job growth to make much progress on those fronts. This is the new normal for at least the first half of the year, economists predict, but the second half might see some improvement. MarketWatch (1/6)     

• Rising demand for export coal a big plus for Va. port
  Coal export shipments from Hampton Roads, Va., rose 14.4% in 2012 from 2011 levels, highlighting a rise in demand for U.S. coal globally, according to the Virginia Maritime Association. On a month-on-month basis, exports surged 20.4% to 3.9 million tons in December compared with November levels. SNL Financial (free content) (1/4)     

Energy & Environmental Watch

• Team works to enhance battery life for NS locomotive
  In 2008, Norfolk Southern and researchers at Pennsylvania State University created a battery-powered locomotive to help reduce emissions and to test battery technologies. Now, the researchers are looking at ways to extend battery life, including finding a solution to sulfation, which causes a battery to be worn out due to charging and discharging it often. ProgressiveRailroading.com (1/4)     

Hot Topics

Top five news stories selected by AAR SmartBrief readers in the past week.

• CN completes merger of 2 railroads (The Times (Munster-Hammond-Merrillville-Valparaiso, Ind.))

• Jury: Defendants' lawyers in CSX Transportation v. Gilkison violated RICO (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

• Class I's to gain more business as river shippers pick rail (The Journal of Commerce)

• James Young, UP chairman, named 2013 Railroader of the Year (RailwayAge.com)

• BNSF plans to modernize 32,000-mile rail network maps (The Topeka Capital-Journal (Kan.))

• Results based on number of times each story was clicked by readers.

SmartQuote

If money be not thy servant, it will be thy master. The covetous man cannot so properly be said to possess wealth, as that may be said to possess him." --Francis Bacon, British author and statesman