UNION PACIFIC

The Houston Health Department announced last week that they had found traces of dioxin -- a highly toxic chemical compound — in all of the samples collected near the rail facility.

The railyard has been a source of contention for nearby residents for decades, with critics blaming Union Pacific for contaminating the area with cancer-causing chemical.

The Houston Health Department said Friday that surface soil samples collected in July around the contaminated Union Pacific rail yard and tested by the department contain dioxin, a highly toxic chemical compound associated with cancer and other severe health risks.

Metra trains Thursday night on the BNSF and Union Pacific North, Northwest and West lines will run as scheduled, the commuter rail agency said.

These are the stocks posting the largest moves before the bell.

The nation’s freight railroads teetered on the brink of a massive strike over staff cuts that have led to what unions call brutal working conditions. It could have big effects on the economy and transportation.

If railroad companies and workers can’t resolve their dispute by Thursday night, the country could see its first railroad strike in 30 years.

As the deadline for a possible freight railroad work stoppage approaches, Metra warned trains on some lines could stop running Thursday night

The top labor negotiator in talks to avert a railroad strike accused BNSF and Union Pacific of holding up progress.

There's a new way ports, ocean carriers and rails are move shipping containers across the U.S. as a result of West Coast port congestion.

The City of Houston, Harris County, and nonprofit Bayou City Initiative have started negotiations with Union Pacific related to its remediation plan for the creosote contamination at the Houston Wood Preserving Works Site (HWPW) impacting the Fifth Ward and Kashmere Gardens neighborhoods.

Union Pacific has already lost three lawsuits over the way it removes employees with health conditions because of safety concerns, and the prospect of hundreds more lawsuits looms over the railroad.

On Thursday's show: Local officials take action against Union Pacific, citing pollution in Kashmere Gardens and the Fifth Ward. And we discuss some other legal questions the recent Dobbs ruling has spawned.

Union Pacific will spend more than $1 billion to upgrade 600 of its old diesel locomotives over the next three years and make them more efficient, but regulators still want it to do more to cut pollution from its engines. The move will accelerate the pace of upgrades UP already planned to make and help the Omaha, Nebraska-based railroad cut roughly 210,000 tons of carbon emissions each year -- the equivalent of taking 45,000 cars off the road. The railroad will go from modernizing 120 locomotives this year to modernizing 200 a year in each of the next three years.

The sample was taken near the Union Pacific railyard, which is contaminated with creosote -- a likely human carcinogen -- that resulted in Kashmere Gardens being deemed a cancer cluster in 2019.

On Thursday's show: City and county leaders plan to sue Union Pacific over alleged toxic pollution from the railroad's Fifth Ward site. Plus, we learn why the Justice Department is investigating Texas over its Operation Lone Star border initiative. And we discuss how the recent Dobbs decision overturning Roe v. Wade could lead to an erosion of privacy rights.

Tuesday’s announcement that both Harris County and the city of Houston each plan to pursue legal action against Union Pacific Railroad over long-standing contamination in Houston’s Fifth Ward was welcome news among residents who have long fought for accountability.

The Union Pacific railyard is contaminated with creosote, a likely human carcinogen that resulted in Kashmere Gardens being deemed a cancer cluster in 2019.

The Union Pacific railyard is contaminated with creosote, a likely human carcinogen that resulted in Kashmere Gardens being deemed a cancer cluster in 2019.

Ever since the first Fifth Ward cancer cluster was confirmed by the state department of health in 2019, numerous city and state elected officials have shown up to meetings declaring support for residents and promising to hold Union Pacific accountable for the decades-long contamination at its nearby rail yard.

A 17-year-old Geneva girl died Tuesday from injuries sustained when she was struck by a Metra passenger train on the Union Pacific-West line, city officials said.

State health officials have found higher than normal cancer rates in the area for both adults and children.

Metra is preparing to replace nearly a dozen rail bridges, marking the next phase of a project that began more than a decade ago.

A major fertilizer company says the limits Union Pacific is putting on rail traffic to clear up congestion will delay shipments that farmers rely on during the spring planting season.

A major fertilizer company says the limits Union Pacific is putting on rail traffic to clear up congestion will delay shipments that farmers need during the spring planting season. CF Industries said Thursday that the railroad ordered it to cut its shipments nearly 20%. Union Pacific has said it is limiting rail traffic and hiring aggressively as part of a plan to improve service after grain and ethanol shippers complained about shortcomings.

New Braunfels City Council approves purchase, relocation and reimbursement of downtown Union Pacific rail yard

We believe our capital can work harder for us elsewhere and would be adding to another Club position if not restricted.

Various factors, including taking market share from the labor-strapped trucking industry, puts Union Pacific on a strong path this year.

Union Pacific hauled in 24% more profit in the fourth quarter even though supply chain problems and weak auto production continued to slow shipments because last year's results were weighed down by a one-time $278 million charge.

Crews are making railroad repair in Los Angeles after a train derailed near the location where thieves have been raiding cargo containers, leaving the tracks littered with empted boxes of packaged goods sent by retailers.

Crews made railroad repairs in Los Angeles Monday after a train derailed near the location where thieves have been raiding cargo containers, leaving the tracks littered with emptied boxes of packaged good sent by retailers. It wasn't immediately clear if the derailment that happened Saturday was caused by the debris left behind by thieves in the Lincoln Heights area near downtown Los Angeles. Union Pacific said the cause of the derailment was under investigation.

Thieves pilfering railroad cars is a crime that harks back to the days of horseback-riding bandits, but is fueled by a host of modern realities including homeless encampments and e-commerce.

Dozens of freight cars are broken into every day on Los Angeles's railways by thieves who take advantage of the trains' stops to loot packages bought online, leaving thousands of gutted boxes and products that will never reach their destinations.

Thieves have been raiding cargo containers aboard trains nearing downtown Los Angeles for months, leaving the tracks blanketed with discarded packages.

Thieves are taking advantage of slow-moving and stopped container trains and easy to cut locks to steal thousands of packages, local news reports.

The New Braunfels Railroad Museum preserves the legacy of New Braunfels passenger rail travel

Here's why we still think new highs are ahead for both United Parcel Service and Union Pacific.

The major freight railroads across North America continue to experiment with alternative locomotive fuels as a way to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.

Another major railroad has gone to court to determine whether it has the authority to require all its employees to get vaccinated against the coronavirus.

A Houston woman filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Union Pacific Railroad and the City of Houston over her nephew’s death from leukemia.

Union Pacific Hazardous Materials teams are reportedly responding to a train derailment in Smithville, which is in Bastrop County.

Big Boy No. 4014, a Union Pacific steam locomotive built in the 1940s to conquer mountains while carrying equipment in support of World War II, is embarking on a 10-state tour and will be on public display Tuesday in Houston.

Officials are investigating after a train hit a truck in the River Oaks District on Wednesday.

A wildfire burning south of Lake Tahoe, still at zero containment, has crossed the state line from California into Nevada where new voluntary evacuation orders have been issued. The Tamarack Fire has burned more than 65 square miles. (July 21)

Following a delay last week, a section of McCarty Lane between Hunter Road and Barnes Drive in San Marcos will be closed Wednesday and Thursday to allow for railroad repair.[San Marcos, TX] [Hays County news] News San Marcos News, San Marcos Record [Texas State]

The rail industry is testing trains powered by fuel cells and lithium batteries. But it is resisting a switch from diesel locomotives due to costs.

A section of McCarty Lane between Hunter Road and Barnes Drive in San Marcos will be closed next week to allow for railroad repair, Hays County announced Tuesday.[San Marcos, TX] [Hays County news] News San Marcos News, San Marcos Record [Texas State]

Residents suspect a “gumbo” of chemicals from a nearby rail yard is to blame for the heightened cancer risk.

Have we hit the moment when the ‘Be Somebody’ sign will be a beloved memory of the past? Maybe.

A town hall meeting is scheduled for Tuesday evening to discuss questions and lawsuits related to contamination concerns in Houston’s 5th Ward and Kashmere Gardens.

Several major unions say the significant staff cuts railroads have made in recent years could jeopardize safety, but the major railroads say the new operating model they have adopted is simply helping them become more efficient and hasn’t made the railroads riskier.

Videos showed dozens of derailed train cars piled up on top of one another, partially submerged in a lake.

A Metra train headed for Chicago hit a vehicle in Mount Prospect early Friday, halting traffic on the line, according to the commuter rail agency.

Companies are beating estimates and boosting guidance, suggesting that the economy is truly reopening.

Money managers are locked into the reopening trade and retail investors ought to invest accordingly, CNBC's Jim Cramer said Wednesday. "You need to use any opportunity to buy high-quality cyclicals into weakness," the "Mad Money" host said. Cyclical stocks are those whose trading patterns tend to be levered to the business cycle and the state of the overall economy. Cramer highlighted railroad company Union Pacific, whose stock initially declined after news broke Sunday that its rival Kansas City Southern was being acquired by Canadian Pacific in a $25 billion deal. "If you knew the score, you could confidently buy [Union Pacific] into weakness because this market loves the reopening plays," he said.

4141 train, built in honor of former President George H.W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum. “President Bush loved trains and we love everything associated with the legacy of President Bush. 4141 engine led the Bush funeral train from Houston to College Station in 2018, where the former president was laid to rest next to former First Lady Barbara Bush on the library grounds. In 2019, Union Pacific announced it would donate the train built in 2005 to the museum, according to the release.

FILE- In this July 31, 2018, file photo a Union Pacific train travels through Union, Neb. – A federal judge has ruled that the details of conversations between the nation's four largest railroads should be included in lawsuits challenging billions of dollars of charges the railroads imposed in the past. The lawsuits say the railroads conspired to boost prices starting in 2003 by imposing coordinated fuel surcharges and pocketing billions of dollars in profits. In the lawsuits, the railroads have argued that their fuel surcharges were legal and were simply designed to recover the skyrocketing cost of fuel at the time. Union Pacific, which is based in Omaha, Nebraska, plans to continue “vigorously defending itself against the allegations in these lawsuits,” spokeswoman Elizabeth Graham said.

4141 – which carried the body of late President George H.W. Bush to his final resting place in College Station – will be permanently installed there this spring. The long-awaited return of the locomotive to the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum comes after the Texas A&M Board of Regents leased space to the museum for a symbolic $1 per year. The board approved the lease earlier this week, checking one of the final boxes in the plan for the train's final ride.

In 2020, a state health and human services report found higher rates of lung, esophagus and throat cancer among adults in the area. Now, a new report released earlier in January shows children sickened with Leukemia at nearly five times the expected rate. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner is calling on Union Pacific and state agencies to get involved and care for these families. Both cancer clusters are near legacy creosote contamination at a facility now owned by Union Pacific. “I am requesting that Union Pacific help to relocate affected residents and create a buffer between contaminated areas and homes in the neighborhood.

United Airlines – Shares of the major U.S. airline tumbled 6.4% after the company posted a $1.9 billion loss for the fourth quarter. SolarEdge – The smart energy technology company gained more than 5% after Morgan Stanley initiated coverage on the stock with an overweight rating. Fastly – Shares of the cloud computing services provider jumped more than 9% after Oppenheimer upgraded the stock to outperform from perform. Discover Financial — Shares of the financial services company lost 5% despite the company topping analyst expectations for quarterly results. Capri Holdings — Shares rose 1.5% on Thursday after Deutsche Bank upgraded the multinational fashion company to buy from hold.

– Union Pacific's profit and revenue slumped by double digits, though the volume of shipments it handled rebounded from the previous quarter as the economy emerged from the worst of the virus-related shutdowns earlier this year. The railroad earned $1.36 billion, or $2.01 per share in the third quarter, down 12% from $1.56 billion, or $2.22 per share, a year ago. Shares of Union Pacific Corp. dipped more than 6% Thursday. Union Pacific cut its expenses 12% to $2.89 billion during the quarter. Volume is up 4% so far in the fourth quarter, and Union Pacific expects that to end up in the low single-digit percentage range.

American Airlines, Southwest and Union Pacific will report Thursday morning. Bapis also points to Union Pacific as a standout transports stock, highlighting its 2% dividend yield and reasonable price-to-earnings ratio as two pros. Union Pacific has gained 10% in 2020, outpacing the IYT ETF's 6% gain. Robinson is set to report earnings on Tuesday. Vios holds shares in Union Pacific.

Transports were in the red Wednesday ahead of a busy stretch for the group. CSX is set to report earnings after the bell Wednesday and American Airlines, Southwest and Union Pacific are set for Thursday. Todd Gordon, founder of TradingAnalysis.com, is betting on a breakout for this slice of the industrials sector. "Perhaps we'll start to see a little bit of a rotation out into the transports here again as the economy comes back online." Gordon noted that the IYT transports ETF entered a stretch of consolidation from 2017 through to the beginning of this year.

Tomball, Texas Kuykendahl is closed in both directions near Hufsmith Kuykendahl after a dump truck was struck by a train near the intersection. Preliminary information indicates that a Union Pacific locomotive struck a dump truck that was on the tracks. It is unknown if the crossing arms were operational at the time of the crash. The Spring Fire Department remains on the scene. Check back for updates.

HOUSTON – A report conducted by the Texas Department of State Health Services has confirmed a cancer cluster in northeast Houston. Significantly higher than normal diagnoses of the deadly disease were found among residents of the Fifth Ward and Kashmere Gardens neighborhoods, the study confirmed. The report analyzed data from the Texas Cancer Registry over a 17-year period, from 2000 to 2016. “Our neighborhood is contaminated from Union Pacific,” Edwards insisted. Cantu represents Impact Fifth Ward and its push for answers about creosote cleanup and cancer.

Maley says one major railroad stock could help carry the group back to highs Union Pacific. "Here's a stock that's at the $180 level. That's going to be the key level to watch. If it can finally break above that level in any kind of meaningful way, it's going to be very bullish for [Union Pacific], and for the rail group overall," Maley said. "In turn, that would be good for the entire transportation sector so I'm looking at UNP, Union Pacific, very closely right now kind of as a catalyst."

Hundreds lined up to witness history in motion as Union Pacifics iconic steam locomotive Big Boy No. In 1941, Big Boy was among the 25 locomotive trains built exclusively for Union Pacific to handle steep terrain out west. 4014 is the world's only operating Big Boy. After more than two years of restorations, Union Pacific launched a tour of the train throughout parts of the country to celebrate its 150th anniversary of the transcontinental railroad's completion. Big Boy led President George H.W.

HOUSTON - The George Bush 4141 locomotive, the special engine that carried America's 41st president to his final resting place, will join steam locomotive Big Boy No. Sandy Johnson Big Boy crossing the Brazos River bridge in Richmond, Texas. Union Pacific's Big Boy No. Out of the 25 Big Boys built for Union Pacific, only eight are still in existence. Big Boy No.

Watch as steam locomotive passes through Houston before opening for toursPeople look at Union Pacific engine 4014, aka the Big Boy, while it is stopped at the Amtrak station on Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2019, in Houston. People look at Union Pacific engine 4014, aka the Big Boy, while it is stopped at the Amtrak station on Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2019, in Houston. Photo: Jon Shapley, Staff Photographer Photo: Jon Shapley, Staff Photographer Image 1 of / 15 Caption Close Watch as steam locomotive passes through Houston before opening for tours 1 / 15 Back to GalleryA small group gathered along the railroad tracks crossing Richmond Avenue late Wednesday afternoon to watch a rare sight. The sight of a steam engine moving through the city served as a reminder of a time when these mechanical wonders traversed the city, pulling freight and passengers. It is sad, too, for the younger generation, some of whom will never see a steam locomotive in action, the article also observed.

HOUSTON - Union Pacific's historic steam locomotive Big Boy No. Big Boy No. Rail fans will also get the opportunity to go inside a Union Pacific rail car through Experience the Union Pacific Rail Car, a multimedia walk-through exhibition that provides a glimpse at the past while telling the story of modern-day railroading. On Friday Nov. 8, the George Bush 4141 locomotive, created to honor America's 41th president, will join Big Boy No. 4104 to ride together to College Station as part of the Union Pacific system tour, Raquel Espinoza, a representative with Union Pacific told KPRC.

The XLI industrials ETF, which holds Boeing, Honeywell and Union Pacific, has added more than 2% in the past week. We're seeing continued rotation into the industrials," Todd Gordon, founder of TradingAnalysis.com, said on CNBC's "Trading Nation" on Tuesday. "I like the chart setup in John Deere with the agricultural play and with obviously a Chinese deal getting closer and closer is the word around the street," said Gordon. "We have also a pending breakout here above the $180 level in John Deere. To take advantage of a move higher, Gordon is buying the $180 call and selling the $185 call for $2.30 or $230 per options spread.

UPDATE: Train car that was blocking Wayside Dr removed from the roadway. @UnionPacific is doing some welding and final clean up.https://t.co/5vbz05d9yy pic.twitter.com/lLPXIGTmzY Katherine Marchand (@KatherineMABC13) October 21, 2019HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A train on Houston's northeast side derailed early Monday morning, causing traffic delays.Around 12:01 a.m. the train cars derailed during switching operations.If you drive along Wayside just south of the loop, you will want to take a different route.Wayside is currently closed in both directions.Union Pacific says the train car that was blocking the road has been cleared and they are doing some final welding and clean up to prepare to reopen the road.They say five train cars in total derailed, two of which are tanker cars carrying chemicals.Union Pacific says the cars carrying chemicals are not of major concern as they were only carrying residual amounts.

Train derailment in northeast Houston closes roadA railroad bridge partially collapsed early Monday causing a train to derail in northeast Houston. A railroad bridge partially collapsed early Monday causing a train to derail in northeast Houston. Photo: OnScene.TV Photo: OnScene.TV Image 1 of / 8 Caption Close Train derailment in northeast Houston closes road 1 / 8 Back to GalleryA railroad bridge partially collapsed early Monday causing a train to derail in northeast Houston. Houston police were on the scene just after midnight after a Union Pacific train came off its tracks closing both sides of Wayside Drive at Liberty Road. The bridge partially collapsed and might have caused the derailment, according to OnScene TV.