American railroad holding company; backbone of freight transport in the U.S.
Six people have died in a sealed, unventilated shipping container at a Laredo rail yard after being smuggled on a freight train. A seventh person was left for dead along the route. The Webb County medical examiner suspects hyperthermia, and the U.S. Attorney has charged 11 defendants with conspiracy and transporting aliens resulting in death.
The Federal Railroad Administration has proposed a rule to strengthen certification standards for safe train operations. Unions welcome the move; UP and CPKC are silent as inspectors flagged English-language issues in several yards.