February, 2010

I’m usually don’t read a news item strictly because of a whacky headline, but this one grabbed me: “VTA Sheep Grazing Contract Extended.” The thing is, it’s not an outlandish headline, at least not on purpose. The Santa Clara...

Anyone who thinks railroads are spending fewer dollars on capital expenditures because of the sluggish economy and weak traffic levels, think again. Last year, U.S. railroads spent $9 billion on capex — the third-highest level in the industry’s...

I was born and raised in Milwaukee and have spent most of my adult life in the former beer capital of the world. I was among the many who were surprised in 1994 when the city’s largest private college, Marquette University, changed the nickname...

“Welcome to snowy Fort Worth, Texas.” That’s how BNSF Railway Co. CEO Matt Rose began what became an abbreviated press conference/teleconference the morning of Feb. 11 on the Berkshire Hathaway Inc. buyout. He kept the conference at...

The Class Is continue to express serious cost concerns about mandated positive train control (PTC) implementation. I recently shared Norfolk Southern Corp. CEO Wick Moorman’s take on it. Now, here is Union Pacific Railroad’s stance courtesy...

During Norfolk Southern Corp.’s fourth-quarter earnings conference held Jan. 27, senior executives mentioned a few dark clouds hovering over their 2010 business prospects, namely domestic coal demand and international intermodal traffic. But Chairman...