File photo of a BNSF grain train crossing the Gassman Coulee trestle near Minot, North Dakota. (Photo courtesy BNSF Railway)

U.S. government makes contingency plans for rail shutdown

Three unions represent about 60,000 rail workers

Reading Time: 3 minutes Washington/Los Angeles | Reuters — U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration on Tuesday made contingency plans aiming to ensure deliveries of critical goods in the event of a shutdown of the U.S. rail system while pressing railroads and unions to reach a deal to avoid a work stoppage affecting freight and passenger service. The potential shutdown, […] Read more

(File photo by Dave Bedard)

CP arbitration ends in two-year deal for engineers, conductors

Dispute led to rail service outage in March

Reading Time: < 1 minute Mediation and arbitration hearings over the weekend have ended in a two-year labour deal for engineers, conductors and train and yard service staff at Canadian Pacific Railway. The agreement puts a formal lid on the latest round of contract disputes between Calgary-based CP and its 3,000-odd unionized employees represented by the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference […] Read more


BNSF crews clear track near Lemmon, S.D., about 300 km northeast of Rapid City, in late December 2016. (BNSF.com)

Biden steps in to help end freight rail labour disputes

Disputes dragging at BNSF, Union Pacific

Reading Time: < 1 minute Washington | Reuters — U.S. President Joe Biden on Friday signed an executive order creating an emergency board to help resolve disputes between major freight rail carriers and their unions, in a move that could help loosen up some supply chain constraints. The order came ahead of a deadline next week to intervene in nationwide […] Read more

Crews work as Canadian Pacific Railway tracks are suspended above the washed-out Tank Hill underpass of the Trans-Canada Highway after devastating rain storms caused flooding and landslides, northeast of Lytton, B.C. on Nov. 20, 2021. (Photo: B.C. Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure handout via Reuters)

Year-end profits up for CN, CP despite lower grain handles

Railways' ledgers weather drought, B.C. disasters

Reading Time: 2 minutes Both of Canada’s big two railways were able to improve their overall gross and net in 2021 over 2020 despite a yield-robbing drought and disastrous track and bridge washouts in southern British Columbia. Canadian National Railway (CN) on Tuesday reported 2021 net income of $4.892 billion on $14.477 billion in gross revenue, up from $3.784 […] Read more


Crews work as Canadian Pacific Railway tracks are suspended above the washed-out Tank Hill underpass of the Trans-Canada Highway after devastating rain storms caused flooding and landslides, northeast of Lytton, B.C. on Nov. 20, 2021. (Photo: B.C. Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure handout via Reuters)

Grain movement to Vancouver picking up

Railways seen recovering from B.C. damages faster than many had expected

Reading Time: 4 minutes Western grain movement to the Port of Vancouver was at 60 per cent of normal as of Dec. 15 and is expected to continually improve, Mark Hemmes, Canada’s grain monitor and president of Quorum Corp. said in an interview Wednesday. “I think by next week it’s going to look a lot better,” he said. “Is […] Read more

File photo of a CN locomotive in Winnipeg. (Dave Bedard photo)

Vena withdraws as candidate for CN CEO role

Reading Time: < 1 minute Reuters — Canadian National Railway said on Monday Jim Vena, who was backed by a group of investors to lead the country’s largest railway operator, had pulled out of the running to serve as its new chief. Shares of CN fell as much as 6.5 per cent on the news. The former Union Pacific executive […] Read more


Thousands in B.C. still stranded by flood waters

'We are not out of this by a long shot'

Reading Time: 2 minutes Abbotsford | Reuters — Rescuers and workers in British Columbia were still trying to reach 18,000 people stranded on Thursday after floods and mudslides destroyed roads, houses and bridges in what could be the costliest natural disaster in the country’s history. Receding flood waters were helping rescue efforts, but the downpour blocked off entire towns […] Read more

Thousands in B.C. still stranded by flood waters

'We are not out of this by a long shot'

Reading Time: 2 minutes Abbotsford | Reuters — Rescuers and workers in British Columbia were still trying to reach 18,000 people stranded on Thursday after floods and mudslides destroyed roads, houses and bridges in what could be the costliest natural disaster in the country’s history. Receding flood waters were helping rescue efforts, but the downpour blocked off entire towns […] Read more


Cows that were stranded in a flooded barn at Abbotsford, B.C. are rescued on Nov. 16, 2021 by people in boats and on a jet-ski after rainstorms lashed the province, triggering landslides and floods and shutting highways. (Photo: Jennifer Gauthier/Reuters)

B.C. calls emergency, expects more deaths from 500-year flood

Some livestock die, more are expected to be euthanized

Reading Time: 3 minutes Abbotsford | Reuters — The death toll in Canada from massive floods and landslides that devastated parts of British Columbia is set to rise, with the province declaring a state of emergency on Wednesday. Authorities have so far confirmed one death after torrential rains and mudslides destroyed roads and left several mountain towns isolated. At […] Read more

(CPR.ca)

CP, Kansas City lock in new deal as CN steps out

More efficient flow of grain, perishables, machinery parts touted

Reading Time: 3 minutes Canadian Pacific Railway and U.S. railway Kansas City Southern on Wednesday again formalized their engagement after competing suitor Canadian National Railway walked away from the table. CP and KCS, which reported “unanimous” support from both companies’ boards, have entered a merger agreement committing CP to pay about $31 billion in cash and stock, or about […] Read more