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Feb
01

STB receives first letters of support for CP-NS merger

The U.S. Surface Transportation Board (STB) has begun to receive letters from rail customers who are in favor of Canadian Pacific's proposed takeover of Norfolk Southern Corp.

Dakota Plains Holdings Inc. and multiple other shippers wrote last month to the STB to say they support CP's proposal to acquire NS. Until last week, most of the letters written to the STB were sent in opposition to the CP-NS merger.

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Jan
27

CP names Paull to succeed Hilal on board

Canadian Pacific announced Matthew Paull has been appointed to the board effective immediately, replacing Paul Hilal, who has resigned.

Hilal's departure coincides with his resignation from Pershing Square Capital Management L.P. A CP board member since 2012, Hilal chaired the board's Management Resources and Compensation Committee and was a member of the Finance Committee.

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Jan
27

CN posts higher profits in Q4, full year 2015

Despite an 8 percent decline in carloadings for the fourth-quarter, CN reported its fourth-quarter 2015 net income rose 11 percent to $941 million and diluted earnings per share (EPS) rose 15 percent to $1.18 (in Canadian dollars), the Class I announced yesterday.

The quarterly profit beat analysts' expectations. The railroad's operating income rose 7 percent to $1.354 billion, and the operating ratio decreased 3.5 points to 57.2 percent compared with the year-ago quarter, according to a CN press release, which reported all figures in Canadian dollars.

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Jan
27

Norfolk Southern posts lower profit in 2015, initiates cost-cutting measures

Norfolk Southern Corp. today reported lower profits for fourth-quarter and full-year 2015, as the Class I faced the impact of declining traffic volumes throughout last year, particularly coal. The company also announced cost-cutting measures designed to improve profitability and accelerate growth.

NS posted net income of $361 million, or $1.20 per diluted share, for Q4 2015, down nearly 30 percent when compared with $511 million, or $1.64 per diluted share in fourth-quarter 2014. Analysts expected NS to earn $1.23 per share for Q4 2015.

Railway operating revenue for the quarter totaled $2.5 billion, down 12 percent compared with the year-ago quarter. Income from railway operations fell 28 percent to $642 million compared with Q4 2015.

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Jan
25

CN files for regulatory approval of Milton logistics hub

CN has submitted an application to the Canadian Transportation Agency for approval of the Class I's proposed logistics hub in Milton, Ontario.

The application outlines the infrastructure required for the $250 million project (in Canadian dollars) and what CN anticipates will be the economic benefits of the logistics hub, CN officials said in a press release.

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Jan
22

CP to eliminate 1,000 jobs in 2016

Canadian Pacific expects to reduce its workforce by about 1,000 employees in 2016, company officials said during an earnings conference call with analysts yesterday.

The job reductions are necessary to adjust to lower traffic volumes. Positions will be eliminated across the board, but most of the unionized positions will be eliminated by attrition, said Chief Executive Officer E. Hunter Harrison. Most of the cuts will have kicked in by the middle of 2016, he said.

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Jan
22

KCS' earnings fall in Q4, EPS beats estimates

A decrease in traffic volume, a hurricane in Mexico and flooding in the United States resulted in Kansas City Southern posting lower revenue, profit and earnings for the fourth-quarter and full year in 2015, the company announced this morning.

KCS posted fourth-quarter 2015 net income of $140 million on revenue of $598 million, compared with net income of $142 million on revenue of $642.5 million for the same period in 2014, according to a KCS press release.

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Jan
21

UP's profit falls due to lower traffic volumes in 2015

Pricing gains weren't enough to offset the decline in traffic volume in fourth-quarter 2015 at Union Pacific Railroad. As a result, UP posted net income of $1.1 billion, or $1.31 per diluted share for the period, compared with $1.4 billion, or $1.61 per diluted share, in fourth-quarter 2014, the railroad announced this morning.

Operating revenue for the quarter fell 15 percent to $5.2 billion compared with Q4 2014. Fourth-quarter business volumes — measured by total revenue carloads — declined 9 percent in 2015 compared with a year ago. Volumes fell in each business group except for automotive. Coal led the decline; freight revenue for that category fell 31 percent, according to the company's press release.

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Jan
19

CSX to consolidate operating divisions, close Huntington office

CSX Corp. announced yesterday that it's consolidating operations administration from 10 divisions to nine divisions and closing administrative offices in Huntington, W.Va.

Huntington Division administration will be reassigned to the Atlanta, Baltimore, Florence, Great Lakes and Louisville divisions, the company said in a press release.

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Jan
15

CSX unveils plan for major intermodal hub in North Carolina

CSX will develop a major freight-rail intermodal terminal in Johnston County, N.C., the company and Gov. Pat McCrory announced yesterday.

The proposed "Carolina Connector," or CCX, will serve as an intermodal transportation hub in the south, transferring a range of goods — from food to furniture to appliances — between trucks and trains, CSX officials said in a press release.

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Jan
13

NS to combine Virginia, Pocahontas divisions

Effective Feb. 1, Norfolk Southern Corp. will consolidate its Virginia and Pocahontas divisions to form a new Pocahontas Division, with its headquarters in Roanoke, Va., the Class I announced yesterday.

The consolidation is part of the company's efforts to improve operating efficiency and support long-term growth, according to an NS press release.

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Jan
13

CSX posts lower Q4 profit, achieves sub-70 operating ratio for 2015

CSX Corp.'s fourth-quarter 2015 revenue and profit were down compared with the same quarter in 2014, but the Class I's results beat Wall Street's expectations.

CSX reported yesterday that fourth-quarter 2015 net earnings declined 5 percent to $466 million, or 48 cents per share, compared with $491 million, or 49 cents per share, in the prior year's quarter.

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Jan
12

KCS Railway to invest $15 million to improve Louisiana rail line

Kansas City Southern Railway Co. (KCSR) will spend about $15 million this year on rail and bridge improvements at the Beaumont Subdivision between DeQuincy and DeRidder, La., Kansas City Southern (KCS) announced yesterday. 

The projects are aimed at increasing capacity and maintaining and enhancing safety on Kansas City Southern's cross-border network, company officials said inn a press release.

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Jan
12

CSX names new sales, marketing leaders

CSX yesterday announced new leadership appointments to its sales and marketing organization.

Dean Piacente has been named vice president-intermodal; Clark Robertson, VP-chemicals; and Tim McNulty, VP-agriculture. All three will report to Fredrick Eliasson, executive VP and chief sales and marketing officer, according to a CSX press release.

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Jan
08

CSX reports $2.2 billion in customer investments, unveils food distribution grant recipients

CSX worked with customers to locate 107 new plants or expanded facilities — projects worth $2.2 billion in customer investments — on the company's rail network last year, the Class I announced yesterday.

The new projects are expected to generate 1,500 new jobs in CSX-served areas, CSX officials said in a news release.

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Jan
08

CN submits EIS on Milton logistics hub

CN has submitted its environmental impact statement (EIS) to the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency (CEAA) for a proposed logistics hub to be built in Milton, Ontario, the Class I announced yesterday.

The EIS describes measures the railroad plans to adopt to lessen the environmental impact of the $250 million (in Canadian dollars) project. Those measures include:
• an approximately 1-mile private road to be constructed on CN property to avoid truck queuing on public roads;
• a new underpass to be built for Lower Base Line to minimize the impact on commuters traveling in east and west directions past the hub;
• raised earthen berms topped off with native Ontario vegetation and trees to reduce the effects of noise and blend into the natural environment of the area;
• enhancements to be made to Indian Creek's natural habitat; and
• environmentally advanced technology and design in the hub, such as solar panels, rainwater capture, natural and LED lighting.

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Jan
05

NTSB cites signal issue in UP train collision

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has determined that Union Pacific Railroad's failure to conduct a risk assessment of a new control point (CP) signal installation contributed to a collision of two UP trains in 2014, the agency announced in a report last month.

The incident occurred in September 2014 near Galva, Kan., when an eastbound UP train collided with the side of a westbound UP train, according to the NTSB's executive summary of its investigative report.

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Jan
05

Report: Shippers express concerns over CP-NS merger

Industry organizations that represent major customers of Norfolk Southern Corp. have asked the Surface Transportation Board to reject Canadian Pacific's hostile takeover bid, according to the Reuters news agency.

Reuters reviewed copies of the letters, which have not been made public. Sent last month, the letters revealed customers' concerns over CP's cost-cutting plans, the impact on service and the potential for higher prices for customers, the news agency reported.

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Jan
05

KCS execs release annual 'state of the railroad' report

Although Kansas City Southern will face many of the same economic challenges in 2016 that it faced in 2015, the company's "strong financial and operational footing" is well-positioned for growth. As a result, KCS will proceed with many of its planned strategic capital expenditures, the Class I's top executives said yesterday in a letter to KCS employees.

In their "State of the Railroad" report, KCS Chief Executive Officer David Starling and President Patrick Ottensmeyer said the economic challenges ahead result in the company's cautious outlook for the new year.

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Jan
04

Florida DOT considers proposed rail overpass for CSX line

The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) will host a public meeting today on alternatives for a proposed railroad overpass in the city of Starke.

The meeting is being held as part of FDOT's project development and environment study for the possible overpass and potential locations, FDOT officials said in a press release.

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