Railroad intermodal (the movement of trailers and containers aboard flatcars) is poised to enter a “golden age,” reports the Journal of Commerce.
The magazine estimates that 2011 could set an intermodal shipment record, eclipsing the record 14.2 million trailers and containers hauled by rail in 2006. In 2010, railroads hauled 13.4 million trailers and containers.
For the six weeks ending Feb. 12, the Association of American Railroads reports trailer and container loads are running more than 7 percent ahead of the same period in 2010.
Given a spike in fuel prices owing to Mideast turmoil, and the fuel efficiency advantage of rail over truck, that surge is expected to continue.
Related News
- New SMART News features interviews with GP Sellers, incoming GP Coleman, an update on rail legislation following East Palestine, and more
- ‘Best practices’ to be discussed at officers’ TD coalition meeting in May
- From the Ballast: ‘Getting railroaded’
- Union Pacific reaches labor agreement with largest union
- TCU & Shop-Craft Coalition reaches tentative agreement with Amtrak
- Norfolk Southern and SMART-TD statement on conductor redeployment bargaining
- Ohio SLD Whitaker, senators state case for Railway Safety Act before commerce committee
- To better serve you, we have to know where you are!
- UPDATED: President Ferguson appears with U.S. Sen. Brown to discuss Railway Safety Act
- Analysis: Lawsuit means shareholders might not be OK after East Palestine