Major US railroads required to report weekly metrics

WASHINGTON, D.C.–Following months of service problems and public hearings, the US Surface Transportation Board will require all Class I railroads to issue detailed weekly performance metrics for each major freight type, including intermodal.

The STB handed down the decision this week, which it hopes will “promote industry-wide transparency, accountability and improved service.”

The data will give the board a better real-time understanding of service issues, it said. The first weekly report is due to the US regulatory agency by Oct. 22, said JOC.

US rail service began to experience service issues in mid-2013, but the problems were exacerbated by extreme winter weather that lasted through February. The weather caused backlogs, which created further delays that extended through the summer as the railways attempted to recover. Major railroads are deploying more train crews and locomotives and have started to concentrate on infrastructure projects to boost capacity, but the problems persist.

The STB conducted a public hearing on Sept. 4 in Fargo, North Dakota for shippers to comment on rail service problems and for Class I executives to explain how they planned to recover. BNSF, CSX Transportation, Canadian National Railway, Kansas City Southern Railway, Norfolk Southern Railway, CP and Union Pacific Railroad will all have to report metrics.