THE BLANCHARD COMPANY

The Railroad Week in Review:
Second Quarter 1999


  • Week ending June 26, 1999
    Shortlines' merger-related service disruptions effect NYSE firms too...Yard congestion and train speed worsen slightly for CSX, NS...Wall Street estimates off for merger partners...NS, CSX may exceed targets set in STB filings...Kansas shortlines reach agreement thanks to STB relief ruling...Where to get financial help for rehabs.
  • Week ending June 19, 1999
    Sugar coating the merger-effect realities?...Positive notes from NS, shortlines... Industry agreement and car supply top shortline Hit Parade...Philadelphia Navy Yard redevelopment picks up speed...UP notes on Conrail routing mistakes...Machalaba on new NS dress code.
  • Week ending June 12, 1999
    Week Two of a World without Conrail was somewhat more eventful...Samplings of press coverage...Hank Wolf addresses Merrill Transport Conference...Port Authority of NY and NJ gains share...Emons to hold special meeting on preferred shares...A final word on intermodal margins.
  • Week ending June 5, 1999
    Week One of a World Without Conrail essentially one of non-news...Further commentary on BNSF staff changes and employee cuts...How much capex spending is too much?...UP streamlines interchange plan for NS, CSX post-Conrail...UP holds off on Over-Nite sale...Further observations re intermodal margins.
  • Week ending May 29, 1999
    A trucker's eye view on the future of east coast intermodal traffic...Wall Street says rails overdoing capital expenditures...Comparative growth rates of rail and truck traffic since 1960...Shortlines lead rail industry profit growth for 1998...One way to accelerate the rate of change in operating income for small railroads...Linda Morgan's caveats.
  • Week ending May 22, 1999
    RailAmerica buys Canada's RaiLink for $C73 mm (US 50 mm); speculation on why it happened and how RAIL will pay for it... BNSF cleans house in the executive suite and announces cuts in capex... CN buys more centerbeams for booming lumber trade... Amtrak crash truck driver gets slap on wrist from Feds "to send a message."
  • Week ending May 15, 1999
    RailTex president identifies analysts following RTEX... CSX and NS stocks underperform the market on recent tear to catch up... Why UNP stock is doing better than BNI's... Further news on KCS rail spinoff... FEC sets up telecom subsidiary... Emons, P&W quarterly results... Tracking the rails via SEC reports.
  • Week ending May 8, 1999
    Wisconsin Central reports quarter's net off 33%... GNWR confirms quarterly net down 10% largely due to failed Australian bid... CN says shortline grown in Canada has helped revive the Canadian rail system...Breakfast with Bob Anestis, CEO of FEC... Lunch with RAIL's top commercial managers.
  • Week ending May 1, 1999
    NS says it's ahead of plan on "jump ball biz" vs. CSX... RailTex first quarter operating revenues up by 18%, operating income up 15%... FEC doubles quarter's income with a healthy shove from land sales... How to sanity check your own analysis of a target company with the Wall Street gooroos... P&W says high court confirms its ownership of South Quay property
  • Week ending April 24, 1999
    Quarterly analysis: How companies fared at the core business of running a railroad, absent any special charges or other accounting tools to adjust the net one way on another... BNSF takes some hard-nosed steps to focus on making the railroad more efficient... CN Operating income up 28% to $236 mm as the operating ratio dropped 5.8 points to 76.8...Union Pacific's turnaround story... What's behind the CSX numbers and what they point to... NS and Amtrak reach accord on Triple Crown...Tony Hatch hatches his "White Paper" on the industry.
  • Week ending April 17, 1999
    Earnings Week begins in New York...Comparison of large and small railroad results for 1998...Current railroad PEs make no sense...RAIL may have to bite entire bullet in latest Australian deal...Emons files preliminary proxy to buy out preferred stock...Canadian National reorganizes...UP corporate headquarters moves to Omaha...Frank Wilner on latest in the battle to reregulate the railroads.
  • Week ending April 10, 1999
    The mail continues on the publicity issue...GNWR posts seven cent a share loss for the quarter...Rip Watson asks who gets the productivity benefits of the new "286" cars...NY and NJ governors duke it out over keeping SeaLand/Maersk while Baltimore slips under the tent...RailTex March 1999 carloadings up 28%...Wheeling and Lake Erie Railway wins $900,000 bridge rehab grant...RailAmerica breaks out 1996-1998 results by rail and trailer manufacturing.
  • Week ending April 3, 1999
    Why the rail industry's poor public relations effort hurts business...a visit to the EWS Customer Service Delivery Center in Doncaster, England...RailWorks, a relative newcomer on the rail supply scene...Florida East Coast taps IC's John McPherson as COO...Motley Fool's take on why KSU stock doubled in 12 months...First cuts from the 1998 Annual Reports for NS, BNSF, UP.

  • Index for Jan - Mar 99
  • Index for Oct - Dec 98
  • Index for Jul - Sep 98
  • Index for Apr - Jun 98
  • Index for Jan - Mar 98
  • Index for April - Dec 97
  • Index for Dec 96 - Mar 97

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