NEWSLETTER - TEALINC TOUCHBASE - 2008 December 2008 - Analysts Forecast 2009 Construction Market To Continue To Slide Due To Metals Market, BNSF Discontinues Penalties Associated With Unused Car Orders. Railroads Must Continue Making Investments In Infrastructure To Take Advantage of A Turnaround, And Therefore Rising Demand, When It Does Occur U.S. Rail Traffic Down In October November 2008 - Data Shows Steel Shipments In The U.S. and Canada Declined At Double-Digit Rates in August Three Class I Railroads Cut Fuel Surcharge Rates CN Announces Optional Service Tariffs Fed Lowers Benchmark Rate By A Half-Point As It Continues to Fight The Credit Crisis; Warns That Economic Recovery Will Take Time October 2008 - Spring Wheat Market Continues To Come Under Pressure Union Pacific To Implement Changes To Their Existing Private Empty Car Storage Program Despite Traffic Decrease In September, Coal, Metallic Ores and Misc. Categories Saw U. S. Carload Increases Major Banks Around The World Are Cutting Back On Their Lending September 2008 - Over Four Year Period, Cement Consumption Predicted To See The Worst Decline Since The Great Depression Norfolk Southern Announces New Billing Process For Empty Car Movements U.S. Grain Exports Highlight Need For Infrastructure Boost With High Fuel Prices, Shippers Find Rail Fuel Efficiency As One More Reason To Turn To Railroads To Meet Their Transportation Needs August 2008 - Global Steel Demand Continues to be Led by Emerging Economies Railroads Thriving During Economic Uncertainty Grain and Chemical Carloads Reportedly Up in June; Coal, Motor Vehicles and Equipment, and Coke Carloads Down Many Economists Urge That Feds Must Raise Federal Funds Rate to Combat Inflationary Pressures July 2008 - Lumber Demand Expected To Further Decline in 2008; Recovery Expected in 2009 CSX E-Business Workshop Planned For September 29 through October 1 Car Repair Facility Labor Rate To Increase 3.1 Percent To $97.75 Effective July 1 Federal Reserve Keeps Fund Rate At Two Percent Marking The First Time In Nine Months That Rates Haven't Been Cut June 2008 - Turmoil In The Credit Markets And A Weakening Economy Guarantee That Housing Markets Will Face Another Challenging Year Bill Aimed At Rebuilding Nation's Infrastructure Enters House Container Shortage Frustrates U.S. Exporters During April Policy Meeting, Federal Reserve Officials Downgraded Expectations For The Economy May 2008 - Global Steel Industry Predicted to Continue Enjoying Strong Pricing For At Least The Next Two Quarters Norfolk Southern New "Pacesetter" Tool Aimed at Providing Shippers With More Control Over Their Supply Chains Slow Economy Will Restrict Freight Car Orders and Production AAR to Hold Customer Forum To Allow Shippers The Opportunity to Voice Their Concerns to Railroad Officers April 2008 - U.S. Demand For Domestic Corn Increasing To Support Ethanol Production Since 1990, Railroad Fuel Efficiency Has Improved By Over 25 Percent; Rail Transportation Three Times More Efficient Than Truck Strong Export Markets Boosting Rail Coal & Grain Movements; Housing Market Negatively Impacting Lumber, Wood and Intermodal Carloads Feds Attempt To Restore Confidence In The Economy With Another Three-Quarter Percentage Point Cut March 2008 - Spurred By Industrialization In Developing Countries, Global Demand For Aggregates Is Expected To Grow New CSX Price Look-Up Tool Now Available Carloads of Grain, Coal, Chemicals Up; Coke, Lumber and Wood Products, Crushed Stone, Sand & Gravel Down Since Congress Partially Deregulated The Rail Industry in 1980, Traffic Volume Has Increased By 95 Percent February 2008 - Near Record U.S. Coal Production Forecasted For 2008 Canadian Pacific Railway and the Canadian Auto Workers Union Reach Tentative Three Year Agreement; Avert A Strike 2007 U.S. Rail Freight Traffic Second Highest In History Facing Fears of a Recession, Federal Reserve Slashes Federal Funds Rate to 3.5 Percent January 2008 - While U.S. Scrap Prices Weaken, International Steel Demand Predicted To Drive Scrap Demand Up Union Pacific to Implement Automated Process For Empty Car Billing Our Outlook For Rail Transportation In 2008 Recession Fears Prompt Federal Reserve to Lower Funds Rate Another Quarter Point

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