Intermodal Briefs: RITC, Lineage Logistics (Updated November 11)

Written by Carolina Worrell, Senior Editor
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Rochelle Intermodal Transload Center (RITC) breaks ground. Also, Lineage Logistics, LLC (Lineage Logistics) renews participation in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) SmartWay Transport Partnership.

RITC

The City of Rochelle and the Greater Rochelle Economic Development Corporation (GREDCO) have announced plans to open a new intermodal container yard in the heart of Rochelle’s industrial park. A groundbreaking event for the project, which includes paving the entrance to the Rochelle Intermodal Transload Center (RITC), construction of a 1,100 foot by 60 foot concrete lifting pad and construction of an intermodal yard adjacent to the existing transload center, was held Nov. 9 at RITC served by the City of Rochelle Railroad (CIR), a city-owned short line railroad that connects businesses to Union Pacific (UP) and BNSF.

The rail system, the City of Rochelle says, consists of three interchange rail yards, two transloading yards and 12 miles of mainline track. The CIR, which is capable of handling unit trains that can be stored and switched daily in and out of Rochelle, Ill., directly provides switching services to 14 industries that include cold storage, lumber, steel, ethanol, dry food products and a variety of commodities, along with the RTIC.

Burlington Junction Railway (BJRY) operates the CIR, providing interchange, switching and transloading services for industries in Rochelle with more than six million square feet of Class A industrial space with the capacity to provide transload services to industries throughout northern Illinois, eastern Iowa and southern Wisconsin.

 “The Union Pacific Global III Intermodal facility abruptly idled in 2019, leaving local industries with increased transportation costs and shipping delays”, said Rochelle Mayor John Bearrows. “Today, we break ground on a facility that will serve as a cost-effective alternative to moving freight through the heavily congested transportation corridors in Chicago”. 

According to the City of Rochelle, intermodal service could begin as early as spring 2023.

Lineage Logistics

Lineage Logistics announced Nov. 8 that it has renewed its participation in the U.S. EPA SmartWay Transport Partnership, a program that “provides a framework to assess the environmental performance and energy efficiency of goods moving through supply chains so partnering companies can reduce their environmental footprint.”

A refrigerated truck arrives at a Lineage Logistics warehouse facility. (Photo: Business Wire)

Launched in 2004, the SmartWay program “helps companies advance supply chain sustainability by measuring, benchmarking and improving freight transportation efficiency,” said Lineage Logistics, which joins nearly 4,000 SmartWay partners, including shippers, logistics companies, rail, trucks, barge and multimodal carriers. Additionally, the program also helps companies select more efficient freight carriers, transport modes, equipment and operational strategies to improve supply chain sustainability.

“At Lineage, we recognize the opportunity our industry has in creating and advancing a more sustainable supply chain, and we look forward to working with the EPA and our carrier partners to further reduce our emissions and improve our energy efficiency,” said Greg Bryan, EVP of Logistics at Lineage Logistics. “We are excited to lead the industry forward, and this partnership serves as yet another example of our ambition to be a better and more responsible company that aids in feeding the world.”

According to Lineage Logistics, to date, SmartWay partners have contributed to substantial energy savings, including 336 million barrels of oil–the equivalent to eliminating annual energy usage in over 21 million homes–and $44.8 billion on fuel costs. The SmartWay program has also helped participating companies avoid emitting 143 million metric tons of CO2, 2.7 million short tons of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and 112,000 short tons of particulate matter (PM).

Since 2015, Lineage Logistics says it has implemented “ambitious initiatives to reduce the company’s energy consumption with quantifiable and impactful targets that align with its purpose to transform the food supply chain to eliminate waste and help feed the world.” This partnership, Lineage Logistics adds, will help the company achieve its goal of reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2040–10 years ahead of the Paris Agreement.

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