Union Pacific filed a complaint with federal regulators alleging that BNSF Railway’s cancellation of certain reciprocal switching rates has significantly increased costs for grain shippers.
Union Pacific plans to file a revised merger application for its consolidation with Norfolk Southern.
The Surface Transportation Board proposed changes to make it easier for shippers to get freight services from a railroad that doesn’t directly serve their locations.
The American Chemistry Council has serious concerns about the impact to its members’ business.
A federal appeals court has thrown out a rule that gave shippers with poor rail service access to a second railroad.
In light of the numerous comments that the Surface Transportation Board received on its proposed reciprocal switching rule, the board has extended a deadline for additional feedback by two weeks.
Dozens of industry stakeholders, from individual Class I railroads to multiple shipper groups to the trade unions, offered their input on what’s wrong and what’s right about the Surface Transportation Board’s proposed rulemaking on reciprocal switching.
Wisconsin Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin and West Virginia Republican Sen. Shelley Moore Capito want the Surface Transportation Board to “move swiftly” on reciprocal switching.
Rail shippers largely welcome a reciprocal switching rule proposed last week by the Surface Transportation Board, but some wish it did more to incentivize rail competition.
After years of wrangling over the issue, the Surface Transportation Board has issued a notice of proposed rulemaking on reciprocal switching that will seek to define the service parameters where a switching action could take place.
Rail service for the 2023-2024 crop year in Canada is expected to be smooth — provided that weather conditions and unforeseen global events cooperate.
A research note from investment firm Cowen predicts reciprocal switching will hurt U.S. Class I railroads financially.
An active Surface Transportation Board and ongoing issues to fully restore rail network capacity are among the issues that industry stakeholders are eyeing in the new year.
Transport Canada is considering making the data collection of rail service metrics permanent — a move the Forest Products Association of Canada supports.
The board held a two-day hearing on reciprocal switching to help it determine how it should move forward.
The Surface Transportation Board will hold a two-day hearing on reciprocal switching next week. Here is some background on the issue.
Congress should fund the Surface Transportation Board, agreed panelists at a U.S. House hearing on the board’s funding reauthorization. But they disagree on what STB’s role should be in regulating the freight railroads.
Access to interchanges, treatment of American grain shippers compared to Canadian ones and service impacts weigh on shippers’ minds as they evaluate the proposed merger between Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern.
FreightWaves chatted with former STB Chairman Dan Elliott on the history of the board’s relationship with reciprocal switching and why the board should still review it today.
Economist Steve Pociask opines on why he thinks the Surface Transportation Board should tread carefully when deciding how to proceed with the issue of reciprocal switching.
The board has said it plans to seek input on the environmental impacts of the CP-KCS merger; CSX’s planned acquisition of Pan Am Railways; Amtrak’s plan to restore its Gulf Coast service; and reciprocal switching.
Industry observers grapple with the complexities of implementing reciprocal switching on U.S. rail networks.
2022 could be a busy year for the Surface Transportation Board if it decides to tackle a number of long-standing, hot-button issues.
Both Canada and the U.S. have provisions that allow for reciprocal switching, or interswitching. But rail shippers’ ability to participate in the program differs in the two countries.
SMART-TD must negotiate with Class I railroads on train crew size; Rail Customer Coalition calls on STB to take up reciprocal switching; ASLRRA praises progress on infrastructure bill; and Canadian Pacific urges KCS shareholders to vote against the proposed CN-KCS merger.
President Joe Biden’s order last week calls upon the Surface Transportation Board to examine hot topics among rail shippers, including reciprocal switching. The challenge will be balancing the wants and needs of shippers and the freight railroads.
