OMAHA, Neb. — The flurry of contract agreements announced this fall offers evidence that railroads and their unions are working to avoid the standoffs that led them to a brink of a strike in 2022.

Norfolk Southern sparked renewed concerns about flaws being missed during railcar inspections when it told employees this week they should spend no more than a minute looking at each car. 

Most of the money will go to track and bridge upgrades. Some will be used to bolster training and explore cleaner-burning alternatives to the diesel the rail industry has long relied on.

OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific’s third-quarter profit grew 9% as the railroad delivered 6% more freight and continued to raise prices and streamline its operations.

Norfolk Southern’s streamlined operations delivered strong earnings, even excluding boosts from insurance payouts related to the derailment in East Palestine and the sale of two rail lines.

The Florida-based railroad is recovering from hurricanes Helene and Milton that battered its network in the Southeast. Some trains had to be rerouted as tracks are cleared and repaired.

A federal judge approved a $600 million class-action settlement that Norfolk Southern railroad offered to everyone who lived within 20 miles of last year’s derailment in East Palestine, Ohio.

OMAHA, Neb. — As freight trains have grown longer, the U.S. has seen an increase in the number of a certain type of derailment, the National Academies of Sciences said.

Norfolk Southern said Sept. 11 it has fired CEO Alan Shaw for having an inappropriate relationship with a subordinate.

Very few people who live near the East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment opted out of a $600 million class action settlement.