Union Pacific says single-line intermodal service after a Norfolk Southern merger would cut 20–24 hours from Harrisburg–Salt Lake City moves whose Chicago transfer adds up to 36 hours.
BNSF’s Shortline Select program has grown to 10 short lines after adding R.J. Corman’s Tennessee Terminal and OmniTRAX’s Central Texas & Colorado River, up from one at its 2024 launch.
VTG has agreed to sell its UK wagon leasing business to pension scheme USS, with around 4,500 vehicles included and completion expected in the fourth quarter of 2026.
Released on 16 September, the Victorian Rail Freight Plan 2026-2036 calls for a 10-year maintenance and upgrade plan to bring regional lines to a minimum 21-tonne axle load (TAL).
In Australia, the TRACK rail freight incentive opened on 11 September, offering up to A$26 million as operators propose the subsidy they seek per additional loaded TEU.
In the United States, the North American weighted-average grain fuel surcharge held at $0.48 per railcar mile in September, while diesel reached a record $6.285 a gallon on 14 September.
In the United States, BNSF Railway reopened its main track near Claude, Texas, at 3:03 a.m. CDT on September 14, 29 hours and 44 minutes after the first derailment report.
In Austria, an ÖBB Digital Automatic Coupling demonstration took place under operating conditions at Vienna’s Floridsdorf freight yard on 11 September, ahead of commercial PioDAC operations in 2027/28.
In Germany, Netzwerkbahn Sachsen now lists three Traxx Universal last-mile locomotives from Alstom in its fleet, all class 188 machines equipped for short runs beyond the catenary.
In the United Kingdom, VTG signed an agreement for the VTG Rail UK sale to USS, a transaction covering roughly 4,500 freight vehicles and expected to close in Q4 2026.
In India, the Vande Bharat Freight EMU completed part-loaded trial runs between Ahmedabad and Mumbai Central on 12–13 September, reaching up to 130 km/h under RDSO supervision.
In Peru, Ferrocarril Transandino has presented a USD 800 million southern Peru railway modernisation plan to the Ministry of Transport and Communications for official evaluation.
