Class I Briefs: NS/FEC, CN, UP
Written by Marybeth Luczak, Executive Editor
Map of Norfolk Southern and Florida East Coast Railway’s domestic and international intermodal service offerings. (Courtesy of NS)
Norfolk Southern (NS) and Class II Florida East Coast Railway (FEC) expand their international and domestic interline services. Also, CN’s “EcoChampions” share a creative way to extend equipment life and the railroad’s Intermodal International Sales and Marketing team earns a partnership award; and Union Pacific (UP) wins a supplier award.
NS / FEC
NS and FEC on March 5 reported offering a new intermodal service between South Florida and Charlotte, N.C. Crowley—a U.S.-based logistics, marine, and energy solutions company—is using their Florida Express service to help customers in the U.S., Central America, and the Caribbean Basin expand their options to move textile goods to and from Charlotte for garment and apparel manufacturing. According to the railroads, North Carolina currently leads the nation with nearly 20% of all U.S. textile exports, the largest textile mill industry, and more than 395 textile manufacturers.
In the future, Florida Express will accommodate customers moving goods like produce, poultry, and other commodities in the agriculture industry, NS and FEC reported.
“We are focused on providing reliable service and generating smart, sustainable growth opportunities for our customers,” NS Chief Marketing Officer Ed Elkins said. “This new, two-way transportation solution between Western North Carolina and South Florida accomplishes both goals, and we look forward to helping our domestic and international customers unlock the value of this service.”
“For us in FEC, reaching additional markets and providing customers with options to ship into the primary markets in Florida is key to our development,” FEC Vice President Intermodal Luis Hernandez said. “We are committed to providing a fast, reliable and top-of-class service into the ports, and partnering with Norfolk Southern provides a consistent and most efficient solution.”
In a related development, NS on Oct. 2 added FEC’s Ft. Pierce and Ft. Lauderdale intermodal terminals to its portfolio. The expansion complements service to FEC terminals in Titusville and Miami and expands direct access to and from markets in Chicago, Cincinnati, Harrisburg, Kansas City, Memphis, St. Louis, Lathrop, and Southern California.
CN
A little creative thinking went a long way when CN’s Jules Chalifoux and his team collaborated to overhaul 30 Intermodal Powerpacks genset containers, according to the Canadian Class I railroad. (Watch video above.)
“A genset container is a generator we put on the railcar to bring power to 17 refrigerated containers we use to carry meat, pharmaceutical products or anything that must be kept at controlled temperatures,” Regional Manager, Intermodal Maintenance Jules Chalifoux said.
Instead of purchasing new gensets, Chalifoux in May 2022 started working with the Intermodal teams in Taschereau and Brampton—including Asset Officer of IM Network Operations Rhonda Leavey, Maintenance & Reliability Engineer Louis Poirier, and IM Lead Hand Mechanic Nicolas Guerin—to extend genset life and avoid waste.
“We decided to give our equipment a second life by removing all the old components from the interior and replacing them with a new engine, new generator, new wiring and a new fire suppression system,” Chalifoux said.
The containers also underwent cleaning and some body repair. Each new generator can now power up to 17 reefers, providing 30% more fuel efficiency than using conventional clip-on generators, according to CN. The last overhauled genset was delivered in early March 2023.
The refurbished gensets are safer and more reliable than the aging ones, and the project boosted morale in both yards, Chalifoux reported. “This project was a source of pride for everyone involved,” he said. “There was great teamwork, and everyone who participated made this project successful.”
Further Reading: CN: ‘Keeping it Fresh’
CN on March 4 announced via Linkedn that its Intermodal International Sales & Marketing team won the “2023 Best Partner Award” at TPM24’s COSCO SHIPPING Lines (North America) Inc., dinner.
“Huge thanks to Sunny Lin, Mark Lazaro, and our Operating Team for their exceptional efforts that led to this achievement,” the railroad wrote in the social media post. “Your dedication and hard work have truly set the standard for excellence.”
“There is no stronger compliment than one that comes from our customers,” Tracy Robinson, CN’s President and CEO and Railway Age’s 2024 Railroader of the Year, commented on the post. “This is a strong proof point on the power of our plan and the alignment of our team. Excellent work!”
UP
UP was recently recognized with ExxonMobil’s Ruby Supplier Award. According to a March 4 LinkedIn post, the railroad said it was credited for “shared work in shaping our future and reliably delivering on our commitments to scale up to meet growth objectives while providing exceptional service.”
“We are honored to be recognized by ExxonMobil with the inaugural Ruby Award,” UP Senior Vice President of Industrial Products Jacqueline Bendon said. “I am proud of the entire Union Pacific team who provides ExxonMobil with operational excellence and collaboration.”
