ES44AC 9375 First in CPKC Livery
The first road locomotive in Canadian Pacific Kansas City’s employee-selected livery is Wabtec ES44AC No. 9375. She’ll be displayed May 18 at Kansas City Union Station 4-6-4 No. 2816, The Empress, during
Class I
Commentary
BNSF: Hampson Family’s Enduring Mark of Safety, Resilience, Dedication
Ben Hampson’s family connection to the railroad runs deep. On his maternal side, his great-great-grandfather, Joseph Martinz, and great-grandfather Jack Martinz worked for Northern Pacific Railway (NP) in the early 1900s. Meanwhile, the paternal legacy took root in 1942 when Dan Hampson, driven by unfavorable farming circumstances and the inviting promises of railway employment, moved his family from North Dakota to Montana.
Class I Briefs: CN, CPKC
CN pledges $10 million to support natural disaster relief efforts. Also, CN and Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) continue negotiations with the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC).
Commentary
Norfolk Southern Pulling Out of the Station After Proxy Fight, Leaving Activist Ancora in the Dust
As we predicted last month, shareholders resoundingly rejected an attempt by activist investor Ancora to take control of Norfolk Southern’s board and fire CEO Alan Shaw at Norfolk Southern’s annual meeting this
SMC Global Eyes Kansas City Rail Service
Chemical products manufacturer and distributor SMC Global on May 9 reported acquiring property from Union Pacific (UP) to allow for future rail service to its Kansas City, Kans., production location. The “half-mile
Fernandez-Willey Joins CN
Luisa Fernandez-Willey has joined CN as Principal Economist, Financial Planning and Sustainability. Based in Washington D.C., Fernandez-Willey “will conduct comprehensive research, examine market trends and economic trends, and provide useful insights to support
Commentary
NS: Proxy Battle Ends With Favorable Results (Updated May 10, 2024)
The votes from Norfolk Southern’s May 9 42nd Annual Meeting Shareholders have been tabulated and the results are clear. Following a months-long proxy battle launched by activist investor Ancora Holdings Group and
Class I Briefs: CSX, CPKC
CSX commits $50,000 to Penn State Altoona to create a railroad engineering scholarship program, and will continue to serve the Kearney Companies-Savannah Garden City, Ga., facility. Also, Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) releases a “teaser” video of a locomotive in its new paint scheme.
NTSB Issues Preliminary Report on 2024 CSX Head-On Collision
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released a preliminary report for its ongoing investigation of the April 15, 2024, head-on collision of a CSX train with a CSX stationary, loaded rock train in Folkston, Ga. The agency said future work will focus on “the industry-wide operational procedures for train movements during a signal suspension, training standards on the manual operation of dual-controlled switches, and the effectiveness of job briefings.”
Railroad Day on Capitol Hill Recap
More than 300 participants from Class I and short line freight railroads, along with representatives from suppliers and supporting associations, visited more than 270 bipartisan offices on May 8 for Railroad Day on Capitol Hill.