North-American rail

Florida East Coast Railway recorded a net loss of $13.3 million for the full year of 2012, improving $24.0 million, or 64 percent, from a net loss of $37.3 million in 2011.

The Greenbrier Companies has hired Adrian Downes as senior vice president and chief accounting officer.

Canadian National has appointed three vice presidents as part of the company’s executive changes, according to Jim Vena, executive vice president and chief operating officer of the Class I railroad.

Genesee & Wyoming has appointed Greg Pauline as managing director of Genesee & Wyoming Australia, its Australian branch.

Textainer Group Holdings has named Alvin Chong as vice president and head of the resale division, succeeding Stefan Mackula, and promoted Anthony C. Sowry to senior vice president of operations and acquisitions.

BNSF Railway will begin testing a small number of locomotives using liquefied natural gas as an alternative fuel later this year, said Matthew K. Rose, BNSF chairman and CEO, at the CERAWeek conference today.

Florida East Coast Railway has appointed Melissa “Missy” Westerman as vice president and corporate controller, starting April 2.

Edward R. Hamberger, president and CEO of the Association of American Railroads, today told the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee’s subcommittee on railroads, pipelines and hazardous materials that...

The Association of American Railroads has rejected the National Industrial Transportation League’s proposal on mandatory switching, saying that it would harm all rail network users.

BNSF Railway CEO and Chairman Matt Rose said Monday the western railroad expects modest volume growth in 2012 but said the U.S. needs to spend more to prepare for a surge of freight growth expected over the next decade.

Berkshire Hathaway reported that subsidiary BNSF Railway’s net earnings rose 13.5 percent year-over-year from $2.97 billion in 2011 to $3.37 billion in 2012.

Beginning this month, Canadian National will boost shipments of heavy northern Alberta crude oil through LBC Tank Terminals’ expanded facility at Sunshine, in the Gesimar, La., industrial complex.

For a second time, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has denied environmental groups’ request to block construction on the Port Mackenzie Rail Extension, a 32-mile rail link connecting the main line of the Alaska Railroad with...

TBG Holdings has acquired Monkey Rock, which will be repositioned to compete in the short line and regional freight railroad industry.

Representatives from major U.S. freight railroads will inform the National Transportation Safety Board today that implementing fully interoperable positive train control across more than 60,000 route miles before the congressionally mandated 2015 deadline is not possible.

Kansas City Southern’s U.S. transportation group has reorganized its management.

Norfolk Southern today will cease regional railcar classification operations at its Roanoke Terminal hump yard in Roanoke, Va.

Titagarh Wagons and FreightCar America have agreed to dissolve their Indian joint venture company.

American Railcar Industries reported profit in the fourth quarter of 2012 was a record $24.4 million, spiking 382 percent from $5.1 million in the fourth quarter of 2011.

FreightCar America reported a net loss of $1.0 million in the fourth quarter of 2012, compared with a net income of $8.5 million in the fourth quarter of 2011.

Progressive Transportation’s agent carrier, Christenson Transportation, and Florida East Coast Railway have teamed up to reduce delivery time between the Tennessee and Kentucky border to Florida.

Pacific Imperial Railroad has been engaging partners to upgrade its Desert Line freight operations in San Diego.

Canadian National has appointed Jim Vena as executive vice president and chief operating officer, according to Claude Mongeau, CN’s president and CEO.

Norfolk Southern has elected Martin H. Nesbitt and John R. Thompson as directors, according to Wick Moorman, chairman and CEO.

Canadian National Railway has suspended the feasibility study for the construction of its proposed rail line and terminal handling facility to serve the Quebec/Labrador iron ore range.

Genesee & Wyoming reported net income in the fourth quarter of 2012 was $13.4 million, dropping from $33.3 million in the fourth quarter of 2011.

The conversion of over-the-road freight to domestic intermodal could accelerate in the next few years if federal hours-of-service limitations are implemented as planned and motor carrier costs keep rising, according to a third-party logistics executive.

Class I railroad Union Pacific has promoted Kate Betsworth to vice president of intermodal operations, David Giandinoto to assistant vice president and general manager of distribution services...

U.S. District Judge Ralph Beistline has denied environmental groups’ request to block construction on the Port Mackenzie Rail Extension, a 32-mile link from the mainline of the Alaska Railroad...

Union Pacific Railroad is receiving the first of 225 72-foot boxcars it ordered from Greenbrier Industries.

Bermuda-based intermodal container lessor Textainer Group Holdings today reported net income in the fourth quarter of 2012 was $60.6 million, increasing 10.3 percent from $54.9 million...

Kansas City Southern Railway CEO David Starling sees 2013 as “bridge year” in that the railroad will haul more loads but the major surge will come in 2014. That’s when Audi, Honda, Mazda and Nissan will open up plants in Mexico, bringing more business onto the carrier’s cross-border network, he told investors last month.

Members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers System Council 11 at Canadian National Railway have ratified a four-year labor collective agreement that provides improvements in wages and benefits for CN signal and communications employees.

Behind the headlines trumpeting the major North American railroads' robust profits, there are plenty of moving parts.

The major North American railroads will spend slightly more to expand their networks in 2013, but the share of revenue to be spent on capital projects appears to be slipping.

Canadian National Railway today announced a 2013 plan to invest about C$1.9 billion (about US$1.9 billion) to upgrade and maintain its railway network and enhance and expand the business.

Canadian National Railway has settled litigation with Canadian Pacific Railway and its former CEO Hunter Harrison regarding CP’s hiring of CN's Keith Creel as president and chief operating officer.

Class I railroad Canadian Pacific has appointed Keith Creel as president and chief operating officer, effective Feb. 5.