UP
“The holiday season is in full swing and 2025 will be here before we know it. I want to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude for your business and partnership. Together, we have accomplished so much, and I am truly excited about what we will achieve in the coming year,” UP Executive Vice President, Marketing and Sales Kenny Rocker told customers in a Dec. 13 railroad status report.
“Our 2024 performance demonstrates our Safety, Service and Operational Excellence = Growth strategy is working, and the entire team is focused on setting the stage for continued success,” continued Rocker. “Safety is the cornerstone of our strategy. It is our top priority, and we are proud to be recognized as a leader in this area.
“We have seen significant improvement in our Service, it has been more consistent and reliable across our network. Although there were a few areas that required additional attention throughout the year, we are now delivering the service we sold you. “Union Pacific maintained a strong emphasis on Operational Excellence, which has enabled us to Grow.”
According to Rocker, UP experienced an “unexpected” 33% surge in Q3 International Intermodal volumes. “By utilizing our buffer of resources (people locomotives, railcars), we efficiently moved the traffic and maintained fluidity in the supply chain.”
According to Rocker, as the “industry leader in the Petrochemicals market,” UP serves 2.5 times more receivers, engages with more packagers and offers twice the Storage in Transit (SIT) capacity compared to its competitors. “We are enthusiastic about ongoing expansion and new production opportunities,” Rocker noted.
“Our fall grain shuttle program was notably successful. With newly secured facilities, we are poised for domestic growth, and we are excited about continued growth tied to renewable fuels,” added Rocker.
Rocker provided the latest weekly metrics reported to the Surface Transportation Board (STB) on Dec. 6. They include:
• Freight Car Velocity: 226 miles per day
• Train Velocity: 20.6 miles per hour
• Terminal Dwell: 20.8 hours
“This improvement is reflective of recovery in the Los Angeles Basin. We appreciate your cooperation as we’ve worked collaboratively to restore operational fluidity in the area,” said Rocker, who also made note of the launch of the Class I’s new homepage.
“As I sit here, I am excited about the opportunities that lie ahead in 2025,” said Rocker. “Our commitment to enhancing your experience remains unwavering and we are dedicated to providing you with the service we sold. Thank you for being part of our journey and choosing Union Pacific as your trusted transportation partner,” Rocker concluded.
NS
For several years, NS has taken part in dedicating a special holiday train in upstate New York, partnering with Amtrak and the United States Marine Corps to support the Capital Region Marine Toys for Tots Foundation.
“Our work with Marine Toys for Tots is about more than delivering toys—it’s about connecting communities and showcasing what’s possible when the public and private sector come together to serve a greater purpose,” NS stated in a LinkedIn post.
Along with coordinated toy drives across the network, NS said it is contributing $100,000 to the Toys for Tots Foundation this holiday season.
In related news, NS recently hosted its first Customer Advisory Board meeting, which the Class I says is about “creating an open dialogue, building bridges to address challenges, and unlocking opportunities together.”
“Our members are energized and committed to providing candid feedback that helps our organization improve,” NS wrote in a LinkedIn post. “We are excited to work closely with our customers through this new forum.”
CPKC
CPKC recently announced via an X (formerly Twitter) post that last week more than 1,200 employees at 209 locations participated in the Class I’s most recent quarterly Safety Walkabout, alongside senior leaders, union representatives and regulatory inspectors.
Over the course of 36 hours, groups engaged in open discussions about safety and exchanged motivational stories, reinforcing CPKC’s “shared commitment to safe practices because we all want to go home safe.”
