It’s that time of year again when the wrapping paper comes out, menorahs move to the window and daredevils clamber up ladders to hang twinkling lights. For many American homes, it’s also time for a toy train to start circling the Christmas tree. Where did this popular tradition come from? Trains, themselves, of course! Early 20th-Century Technological Marvels In the early 1900s, trains were considered cutting-edge technology and symbols of progress. When electric toy trains were developed, they captured the imagination of both children and adults. These miniature locomotives, often made of tin ..read more

By: Ian Jefferies, AAR President & CEO After protracted labor negotiations in 2022 and a much-covered derailment in Ohio this year, critics of the railroad industry have sought to advance their narrative, arguing that railroads are deeply flawed. The root cause, detractors posit, is an operational model called Precision Schedule Railroading (PSR), which aims for efficiency–but is now cartoonishly cast as the downfall of the industry. Critics claim that railroads, propelled by the dark magic of PSR, care too much about making money and not enough about employees or safety. It is easy to get ..read more

Did you know that the history of freight railroads transporting turkeys is closely tied to the development of the American railroad system and the growth of the turkey industry? According to the National Turkey Federation, the turkey industry provides more than 385,000 American jobs and has a direct financial impact of $36 billion, which increases to a total economic impact of $103.4 billion. Here’s a look at how railroads have supported this vital customer over the years. Learn more about freight rail’s support of the agricultural industry here. Early 19th Century: The construction of the ear ..read more

Among the countless ghostly legends and spooky stories that captivate our imaginations, there’s a particularly chilling tale that has been rolling through the tracks of history for generations: the Ghost Train. The legend of the Ghost Train has its roots in the early days of steam locomotives and railway systems, a time when the sights and sounds of these powerful machines were still novel and frightening to the general public. Although Ghost Trains have been sighted throughout the world, the United States has its fair share of legends. Here are just three: 1. The Lincoln Funeral Train Locatio ..read more

In the vast and intricate landscape of agriculture, where fields of grains stretch as far as the eye can see and global markets flourish, there exists an indispensable network that ensures the seamless movement of these essential commodities. I was thrilled to recently join the “From the Furrow” podcast by Ever.Ag Insights, where I spoke with host Britt O’Connell and “fellow grain geeks,” as they call us, about the pivotal role that railroads play in connecting producers to consumers across the world. Below is that podcast as well as a summary of my key points. Railroads: Backbone of the Harve ..read more

July 31, 2023 MxV Rail — the world’s leading rail research and development team — recently concluded the 28th Annual AAR Research Review after three days of high-energy technical expertise and industry-led research focused on the future of rail. The highly anticipated event brought together MxV Rail experts and more than 300 attendees including leaders from the Class I and short line railroads, university faculty and students, and suppliers from around the world.  In addition to the traditional technical sessions and sponsor showcase, MxV Rail welcomed attendees with a first ever in-perso ..read more

Safety is a never-ending process that is an integral part of rail operations. Empowered by technology and data insights, railroaders are dedicated to keeping the rail network safe from the beginning of a train’s journey to its end and beyond. Safety starts in person. Ata train’s origin, mechanical employees and train crews thoroughly examine the train to ensure critical components meet rigorous industry safety standards. A bird’s eye view shows the bigger picture. Drones examine sections of bridges and tracks in areas that may be hard to reach, which helps keep employees and trains s ..read more

There are more than 200,000 unique grade crossings nationwide. During normal freight operations, a train can block a crossing for multiple reasons, from weather events to a train slowing to enter or depart a nearby yard. Railroads work closely with community leaders, government partners, first responders and the public to manage and mitigate the community impacts and, when possible, eliminate the crossing altogether.   To better understand why trains block crossings, we must look back nearly 200 years ago to when Baltimore merchants chartered the first North American railroad – the Baltim ..read more

Download Fact Sheet Freight railroads are dedicated to safeguarding the communities they serve, their employees and the products they ship. That’s why they privately invest an average of $23 billion each year in safety technologies, employee training and infrastructure and equipment maintenance and improvements. Thanks in large part to these investments, the Class I mainline accident rate per million train miles has dropped 49% since 2000. The vast majority of train derailments happen in rail yards where the average train speed is about five MPH — not on mainline track running across the cou ..read more

AAR CEO Ian Jefferies recently joined CNBC’s “The Exchange” to discuss current labor negotiations. “The tentative agreements that are on the table are based on a well thought out and comprehensive framework that a panel of experts appointed by President Biden assembled, and the railroads stand by that framework,” Jefferies said. “We are on a path forward to a resolution.” The post Labor Negotiations “On a Path Forward” to Resolution appeared first on Association of American Railroads ..read more