Rail & intermodal - Articles - Page 36

October Sees Freight Dip Along with the Economy

November 8, 2013

October was a depressed month for freight and the economy in general. The number of shipments and freight expenditures both declined from September, by 3.5 and 2.6 percent, respectively. This marks only the second time this year that both indexes declined in the same month. (Shipment volume in April dropped 3.5 percent, but expenditures fell only 1.6 percent.) The 16-day federal government shutdown is partly to blame for the declines, but prior to the shutdown the economy was already exhibiting signs of a cool down.

Domestic Intermodal Traffic Leads Overall Growth in Third Quarter

November 5, 2013

IANA

Total intermodal traffic grew in the third quarter of 2013 by 4.7 percent, year-over-year, attributable to gains across the board, according to the Intermodal Association of North America. Domestic container volume continued to lead intermodal growth, posting a year-over-year increase of 9.4 percent, and combined with a 1.2 percent boost in intermodal trailer volume for the same period, all domestic equipment experienced 7.6 percent year-over-year gains during the third quarter of 2013.

Jacksonville to Get LNG Fuel Terminal for Trucking, Rail, Maritime Industries

November 5, 2013

Maritime Executive

Clean Energy Fuels Corp. announced that it has placed a purchase contract on property where it hopes to build a liquefied natural gas (LNG) fuel terminal in Jacksonville, Fla. This would be the first LNG facility on the Eastern seaboard to specifically supply LNG for the maritime, heavy-duty trucking and rail industries.

Freight Train Zooms Between China and Poland

October 22, 2013

Handy Shipping Guide

The Far East Land Bridge cargo cooperation, whose members aim to revolutionize rail connectivity along the Trans-Siberian route, has witnessed the first container freight train travel from Suzhou, China, to Warsaw, Poland. The 14-day transit resulted from a project among the government of the City of Suzhou in the Jiangsu Province, PKP Cargo (the Polish state railway) and RZD Logistics (part of Russia's rail behemoth).

U.S. Roadmap for Material Handling, Logistics Issues First Draft for Review

October 4, 2013

MHI

The first draft of the U.S. Roadmap for Material Handling & Logistics is now available for public review.

United Arab Emirates Sees First Trial Run of Freight Train

September 27, 2013

Arabian Supply Chain

Freight trains ran for the first time in the UAE on September 22, according to John Lesniewski, Etihad Rail's commercial director.

RoadOne Affiliate Acquires US Intermodal Inc.

September 25, 2013

RoadOne IntermodaLogistics

QLS Logistics Services LLC, an affiliate of RoadOne IntermodaLogistics, has acquired US Intermodal Inc., an intermodal trucking and drayage business.

Union Pacific Debuts Aerodynamic Feature for Stack Trains

September 16, 2013

Union Pacific Railroad

Union Pacific Railroad has developed new technology to increase the aerodynamic efficiency of double-stack intermodal trains.

Brazil Places Bet on Railway Development

September 10, 2013

Bloomberg

President Dilma Rousseff of Brazil plans to build 11,000 kilometers (6,835 miles) of rail and grant wider access to existing privately operated lines to cut shipping costs by as much as 30 percent in the country. The auction of a concession to build and manage the first of a dozen railways costing a total $42bn will take place as early as October.

Paper Products Company Reportedly Cuts Greenhouse Gas Emissions 60 Percent by Moving from Road to Rail

September 9, 2013

Environmental Leader

Packaging and paper products manufacturer Boise has cut CO2 emissions by 60 percent by switching from road to rail and packing its products more efficiently in rail containers, says a case study from Environmental Defense Fund.