Comments for Trains

Comment on Report: Goldman Sachs advising BNSF on potential merger by James Cooley

James Cooley — Tue, 22 Jul 2025 07:52:48 +0000

So you want to go back to the days of the ICC/etc. where you could serve this city but not that city and you have frozen rates which means no body made money, plus labor strikes du jour.
You think the government can do better moving a box of widgets than the private sector?

Comment on Report: Goldman Sachs advising BNSF on potential merger by Güntürk Üstün

Güntürk Üstün — Tue, 22 Jul 2025 04:13:01 +0000

Let’s recall that the rail business is both complex and surprising… Perhaps CSX might be a better fit for Union Pacific than NS… Note that any merger would require approval from the STB, which could take up to two years.

Dr. Güntürk Üstün

Comment on Report: Goldman Sachs advising BNSF on potential merger by MICHAEL LUSTIG

MICHAEL LUSTIG — Tue, 22 Jul 2025 03:14:49 +0000

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, bigger is not better. These big railroads cat manage what they have now.

Comment on Report: Goldman Sachs advising BNSF on potential merger by DAN FINDLAY

DAN FINDLAY — Tue, 22 Jul 2025 01:49:29 +0000

There’s big money to be made, not earned mind you, but made doing these mergers and acquisitions. BNSF has the deep pockets of its parent company to outbid UP for its choice of partner. The trick to the whole affair will be buttering up the POTUS for easy regulatory approval.

Comment on Wabtec marks 10 years of Tier 4 locomotive success by Roger Thomas

Roger Thomas — Tue, 22 Jul 2025 01:42:20 +0000

Tier 4 killed EMD/Progress as a supplier of new mainline locos for North American railroads.. As I understand it, EMD spent years trying to get their 2-cycle engine compliant, failed, and then built a new 4-cycle engine that was not fully debugged on release. I believe their Tier-4 loco was finally released in late 2017 to a tepid reception. Up faithfully bought 100 that were finally made more reliable, but I’m not sure any other Class 1 railroad has those in active use. I would be very surprised if any model manufacturer ever releases an EMD Tier 4.

Comment on Report: Goldman Sachs advising BNSF on potential merger by Justin Ritski

Justin Ritski — Tue, 22 Jul 2025 01:41:56 +0000

Nothing will come of this, mergers are done.

Comment on Report: Goldman Sachs advising BNSF on potential merger by John Rice

John Rice — Tue, 22 Jul 2025 01:24:43 +0000

They can talk all day, nothing wrong with it, but its a cross not worth bearing.

Comment on Wabtec marks 10 years of Tier 4 locomotive success by Matthew Mcclure

Matthew Mcclure — Tue, 22 Jul 2025 01:15:59 +0000

Ten years also of moving unionized jobs from Erie, PA to right-to-work-for-less TX. I’d be more impressed if skilled workers in TX had better protections, benefits, and pay. But then that is why Muskrat moved the Tesla HQ to TX to also undermine his laborers.

Comment on Report: Goldman Sachs advising BNSF on potential merger by GREGG SPINDLER

GREGG SPINDLER — Tue, 22 Jul 2025 00:40:48 +0000

Monoplists gotta do what monoplists do. An industry that hasn’t grown in 20 years with 40% margins doesn’t bode well for the customers, the public or environment. Trumpism will rubber stamp these monsterous mergers.

Government deregulation has utterly failed. Trains has trumpeted dereg as a great success for over 40 years, dutifully parroting industry PR. In reality, workers have taken a beating, customers have no choices, rates are priced ABOVE inflation and the executives and Wall Street rake in billions. IT HAS FAILED.

At some point the failed Reagan-Thatcher-Clinton neoliberalism will collapse on itself (just look around!) And 2 new monopolies will be easier to nationalize for the public good than a few dozen in Conrail’s day.

Comment on Lincoln Service, Floridian see extended cancellations by Howard Fine

Howard Fine — Mon, 21 Jul 2025 23:16:34 +0000

In reply to Güntürk Üstün. AI gunk, AMTRAK OWNS THE POST ROAD , stupid computer trash, and we have to pay to read this GUNK