Cold Temperatures, Winter Weather Causing Major Cargo Delays in Chicago, Northern States
The recent cold snap across much of the U.S. is causing delays to cargo operations, according to alerts issued by several major railroads. Extremely cold temperatures have been interfering with the operation of equipment in Canada and the Northern U.S., and safety concerns have prevented railroad workers from clearing snow and ice off tracks, they said. Chicago has been particularly affected, with intermodal operations in that region facing major delays.
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Although the extreme cold shows signs of lifting as of Jan. 30, Chicago and surrounding areas are as of press time the subject of a special weather statement from the National Weather Service for high winds that may cause drifting and light to moderate snow (here). The WGN Chicago Weather Blog said on Jan. 30 (here) that the return to normal temperatures is only temporary, and that every indication is that “this winter’s cold pattern is far from over.”
“Due to extreme weather conditions shipments moving across the Midwest and Northeast may see delays of 24 to 48 hours,” says an alert on the Norfolk Southern website (here). “In locations where these extreme temperatures are combined with snow or ice conditions, some local service may be curtailed,” it said.
Canadian National, which operates on both sides of the border, reported on Jan. 28 (here) that affected areas include the Chicago area, the CN U.S. North Division, Northern Ontario, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. “The CN winter operating plan is in full effect and our team is working to minimize delays to your shipments,” it said.
Union Pacific also reported on Jan. 28 (here) that “extremely cold temperatures continue to hamper operations in Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin and northern Illinois.” Chicago is particularly hard hit, it said. “Interchange operations in the Chicago area continue to be slow and customers can continue to expect 48- to 72-hour delays in the affected areas,” it said.
BNSF, which had already been reporting delays earlier in the week, said in a Jan. 28 update (here) that “the effects of consecutive severe weather disruptions continue to impact BNSF operations across the Midwest, in particular Chicago.” The most recent period of extreme cold “has slowed the return to normal operations, presenting elevated risk factors for personnel and interfering with equipment operations,” it said.