OMAHA — The Union Pacific Corporation and the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corporation, the largest railroads in the nation, have raised some rates as much as 13 percent as shipments increase because of the strengthening economy, a wire service reports.
Prices will rise as much as $150 per shipping container or trailer starting Aug. 1 for cargo in the West Coast, Midwest and Southwest regions and for freight carried in conjunction with Eastern railroads, according to the companies’ Web sites.
North American rail shipments rose in May for a second month, led by increases of 9.8 percent for mainly retail cargo carried by a combination of train and truck and of 5.3 percent for chemicals, the Association of American Railroads said last week. Union Pacific led in the United States, rising 4.2 percent.