Ground Freight & Logistics

A freight train crashed into a double decker passenger bus in central Mexico, killing 10 people and injuring at least 61 others. The train operator claimed that the double decker bus was trying to pass the moving train. Canadian Pacific Kansas City de Mexico, the railroad, sent condolences and urged drivers to obey road signs and stop at railroad crossings. Herradura de Plata, the bus operator in question, did not respond immediately to a comment request. First responders had cordoned off and photographed the scene. The bus's metal frame was badly dented as well as the front of its top...

Two major rail operators pulled out of the merger race that has gripped industry in the last month. This has reshaped the competitive landscape, and raised the stakes on the proposed $85 billion union between Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern. Canadian Pacific Kansas City, along with Warren Buffett's BNSF Railway BNSF Railway, publicly rejected any consolidation of the rail industry in the near future on Tuesday. This move reduces the likelihood that a $85 billion merger proposed last month by top U.S. railroad operator Union Pacific with Norfolk will lead to further corporate marriages. The merger will create the first...

Australian data centre operator AirTrunk on Tuesday said it secured an A$16 billion ($10.40 billion) sustainability-linked refinancing for its Asia-Pacific operations. AirTrunk, in a website statement, said that this refinancing includes a S$2,25 billion green loan to build a data center in Singapore. This makes AirTrunk APAC's largest sustainable financier. AirTrunk, a hyperscale data center firm, announced that it had secured the support of 60 banks and financial institutions. This brings its total financing including operations in Japan to more than A$18 billion. The company, which was acquired by a Blackstone-led group for A$24 billion late last year, introduced a...

Warren Buffett, the billionaire investor, shut down speculation on Monday that his company Berkshire Hathaway was looking to acquire another train company. After Buffett said to CNBC that he wasn't interested in a merger - and shattered investor hopes that Berkshire Rail unit BNSF might acquire CSX - shares of CSX dropped about 5%. Later, a representative from Berkshire confirmed Buffett’s remarks. Investors have been speculating for weeks that CSX Corp. and BNSF may merge. Last month, Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern announced a $85 billion surprise merger proposal. The goal was to create the U.S.'s first coast-tocoast freight rail...

The Canadian government intervened four times last year to stop strikes in seven companies, using a obscure Labour Code provision. The same decree was issued on Sunday, but Air Canada flight attendants refused and went on strike for 3 days. Unions and labor experts said that their defiance was a watershed. They claimed it would strengthen unions during negotiations, discourage employers from seeking government assistance in sectors regulated by the federal government, and complicate efforts made by the federal government to end work stops through this provision. "We will look back at this dispute, and this strike as a turning-point,"...

Ancora Holdings urged CSX to either pursue merger options in the near future or to replace CEO Joe Hinrichs. The activist investor urged that the railroad evaluate possible tie-ups between Berkshire Hathaway's BNSF Railway, and Canadian Pacific Kansas City to determine which merger partner would be best. CSX warned that once Norfolk Southern, Union Pacific and other transcontinental networks start operating together as a unified network, CSX will be the biggest loser. The activist investor stated that "if a deal is not struck, it's unlikely we will need to run a proxy competition in order to replace Mr. Hinrichs with...

Chuck Schumer, Senate Democratic Leader on Thursday, criticized Union Pacific’s plan to buy Norfolk Southern for $85 billion. This would create the United States’ first coast-to-coast rail freight operator. Schumer claimed that the deal would "push us even further down a dangerous road of consolidation and monopoly... This is an aggressive takeover of America’s infrastructure." He added that "decades of railroad consolidations have resulted in worse service, safety, and working conditions for shippers, which has led to higher costs for them - ultimately leading to higher prices for the consumers." When asked about Schumer’s remarks, Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern...

Global freight forwarder C.H. Robinson, a global freight forwarder, reported a second-quarter profit that was above Wall Street expectations on Wednesday. Cost-cutting measures including job cuts helped offset the impact of declining revenue in its ocean and truckload shipping businesses. According to LSEG data, the Minnesota-based firm reported an adjusted profit of $1.29 for the quarter ending June 30 compared to analysts' average estimates of $1.16. Total direct expenses decreased 9.2% during the quarter due to cost-saving measures and the divestiture from its European Surface Transport business. The number of employees at the company decreased by 1,616 or 11.2% on...

Union Pacific announced on Tuesday that it will buy rival Norfolk Southern for $85 billion. This deal will create the first coast-tocoast freight railroad operator in the United States and transform the movement of goods across the country, from grains to automobiles. If approved, this deal would combine Union Pacific’s dominant position in the western two thirds of the U.S. and Norfolk’s 19,500-mile network that spans primarily 22 eastern states. According to the companies, it is expected that both railroads will have a combined value of $250 billion. They would also unlock annualized synergies worth about $2.75 Billion. The merger...

Union Pacific announced on Tuesday that it will buy rival Norfolk Southern for $85 billion. This deal will create the first coast-tocoast freight railroad operator in the United States and transform the movement of goods across the country, from grains to automobiles. If approved, this deal would combine Union Pacific’s dominant position in the western two thirds of the U.S. and Norfolk’s 19,500-mile network that spans primarily 22 eastern states. The merger of Union Pacific, America's largest railroad, and Norfolk, another top player, would be the largest ever in the industry. This would give the combined company a transcontinental advantage....

United Parcel Service announced a drop in profit and revenue for the second quarter on Tuesday. The decline was due to new "de minimis tariffs" on low-value Chinese imports and rising risks from President Donald Trump’s trade policies. In May, the White House began charging tariffs for shipments from China under $800 that were previously exempt. As part of the trade truce, these levies have been reduced from 120% to 54%. However, consumers are still expected to suffer a decline in demand. Experts believe the removal of the exemption likely creates a greater-than-expected volume headwind for the company's international segment,...

Union Pacific, America's largest freight railroad, beat its second-quarter profit expectations on Thursday thanks to higher coal revenue and better pricing. After President Donald Trump's executive orders to boost coal production, the volume of coal shipment has increased. Union Pacific, a barometer of U.S. economic growth, has also seen strong volumes for its grain product segments and industrial chemical shipments. The policy change has given a boost to the rail industry in recent years, but the North American railroad sector has been struggling with unstable freight volumes, rising fuel and labor costs, and increasing pressure from shippers regarding service reliability....

Pasifik Eurasia Lojistik announced that it had signed a railway transportation agreement with a subsidiary China Railway for the launch of cargo train services on a corridor connecting China to Europe via Turkey, bypassing Russia. The initial plan is to operate 10 train services, and eventually 1,000. It is anticipated that the Middle Corridor will see a significant increase in freight volume thanks to the partnership with China's state-owned railway logistics company. The Middle Corridor, a China-Europe freight route that is promoted by the West, includes Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Georgia, as well as Turkey. Fatih Erdogan, Chairman of Pasifik Holding's...

Leasys, an auto leasing company, aims to double its fleet's share of electric and hybrid vehicles by the end of next year. The rapid advancements in electric technology present challenges to the industry. Leasys, a 50-50 joint venture between Stellantis in Italy and France's Credit Agricole is the third-largest player in Europe's long term auto rental industry. The long-term lease, which allows the customer to rent a car at a fixed rate per month, usually for a minimum of 365 days, is an alternative to owning. In recent years, corporate clients have driven its popularity. Leasys is present in 11...

Blackstone will buy Australian data centre group AirTrunk for an implied enterprise value of over A$ 24 billion ($ 16.10 billion), it said on Wednesday, in what would be Blackstone's biggest financial investment in the Asia Pacific area. The alternative possession supervisor, along with the Canada Pension Strategy Financial Investment Board, is obtaining AirTrunk from Macquarie Asset Management (MAM) and the general public Sector Pension Investment Board (PSP). The deal requires approval from the Australian Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB), offered the property is being bought by overseas parties. At $16.1 billion, the deal is the biggest buyout in Australia...