October 2009 Archive

November 3, 2009

Warren Buffett Buys BNSF

(09:20 a.m. CST) Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc. will pay $26 billion to buy out railroad Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp. in what the billionaire investor called a bet on the U.S. economy. More...

October 30, 2009

Carload, Intermodal Numbers Continue Weak Pace

(04:40 p.m. CDT) U.S. railroads reported originating 276,357 carloads for the week ended Oct. 24, down 14.8 percent compared with the same week in 2008 and 17.3 percent from 2007. More...

October 28, 2009

Norfolk Southern 3Q Earnings Plunge

(04:15 p.m. CDT) Norfolk Southern Corp. said Oct. 27 that its third-quarter earnings plunged 41 percent as shipments sank for everything from coal for power plants to retail goods. More...

October 27, 2009

Nevada Main Line Reopened Following Derailment

(02:30 p.m. CDT) Union Pacific's main line No. 1 near Valmy, Nev., is back in service after an intermodal train derailed about 40 containers Oct. 25. More...

CP Profit Rises, Revenue Tumbles

(10:40 a.m. CDT) Canadian Pacific Railway Limited announced third-quarter net income of $195 million, an increase of 14 percent from $171 million in 2008. More...

October 26, 2009

New DOT Council to Enhance Safety Focus

(02:55 p.m. CDT) Secretary Ray LaHood Oct. 26 convened the first meeting of a newly created U.S. Department of Transportation Safety Council formed to tackle critical transportation safety issues facing the department's 10 operating administrations. More...

Amtrak: PTC Costs Could Shut Down Train Services

(02:50 p.m. CDT) Amtrak has told the Federal Railroad Administration that the cost of installing Positive Train Control collision-avoidance systems in at least 12 states "may be so high as to not be undertaken and therefore result in the elimination of Amtrak service." More...

Derailment Closes Nevada Main Line No. 1

(11:50 a.m. CDT) A Union Pacific freight train travelling from Chicago to Oakland, Calif., derailed more than 40 cars, taking out main line No. 1 on Sunday at 11:45 p.m. near Valmy, Nev. More...

October 23, 2009

Burlington Northern 3Q Profit Falls

(09:15 a.m. CDT) Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corporation Oct. 22 reported quarterly earnings of $1.42 per diluted share, which included a $0.06 per share impact related to a favorable coal rate case adjustment. This compared to third-quarter 2008 earnings of $1.99 per diluted share. More...

Class I Workforce Slips in September

(09:05 a.m. CDT) The U.S. Class I workforce not only shrank for the second-straight month in September, it fell below 150,000 for the first time in many months. More...

Rail Traffic Reflects Economic Slump

(08:45 a.m. CDT) U.S railroads reported originating 275,545 carloads for the week ended Oct. 17, down 15.4 percent compared with the same week in 2008. More...

October 21, 2009

CN Rail Profit Sags, Says Worst Is Over

(01:00 p.m. CDT) Executives at Canada's biggest railroad repeated cautiously upbeat comments made in recent months that the worst of the economic downturn was over, but also pointed out there would still be economic head winds. More...

October 13, 2009

Protect UP: Join UPVoices Web Site

(02:09 p.m. CDT) A variety of federal and state level proposals - ranging from how the rail industry is regulated, to climate change to taxes - could have profound impacts on UP's future. Please become a grassroots supporter and make your voice heard in Washington by visiting UP's advocacy Web site at www.upvoices.com. More...

UP Restores, Relocates Historic Mural

(10:15 a.m. CDT) The city of Pocatello, Idaho, is enjoying another piece of its heritage thanks to Union Pacific. The railroad is partnering with the city to publically display a mural depicting Chief Pocatello. More...

October 9, 2009

Rail Traffic Reflects Down Economy

(02:30 p.m. CDT) All of the 19 carload freight commodity groups were down from the same week last year, with declines ranging from 2.7 percent for chemicals to 53.2 percent for metallic ores. More...

October 7, 2009

Employees Attend Congressional Hispanic Conference

(12:35 p.m. CDT) Several employees recently represented Union Pacific at the 2009 Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute's (CHCI) Public Policy Conference in Washington, D.C. More...

Director Named 'Outstanding Woman of the Year'

(12:20 p.m. CDT) The League of Railway Industry Women (LIRW) recently awarded Lupe Valdez its 2009 "Outstanding Woman of the Year Award." More...

October 2, 2009

Employee Club 66 Takes to the Highway

(08:51 a.m. CDT) Union Pacific Employee Club #66 members adopted a 2-mile section of Texas Highway 482, near New Braunfels, that runs parallel to the Austin Subdivision No. 2 main track. The group has agreed to clean up trash quarterly for the next two years. More...

October 1, 2009

Employee Praised for Military Support

(09:40 a.m. CDT) The Employer Support of the Guard & Reserve (ESGR) has honored Sue Wimmer, assistant director-protection management, with one of its highest awards for her work with UP's military employees. More...