When people think of moving product from one place to another, most envision trucks rumbling down the highway. There are other ways goods move, though, and in some cases they move more efficiently.
Product such as coal, oil and gasoline, lumber and even cars are just some of the products that move long distances over the rails. But the rails move so much more, especially in Connecticut, and do it in a way that is both energy and cost efficient, industry officials say.
“[We move] just about anything you can think of — building products, food stuffs, plastics and chemicals, finished automobiles, construction aggregates, coal and limestone,” said Frank Rogers, vice president of marketing for the Providence & Worcester Railroad (P&W). “On the intermodal container side, [we haul] imports/exports including electronics, footwear, apparel, furniture and consumer goods.”
If recent data is an indication, businesses are increasing their use of the rails for their shipping needs. The Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported that monthly rail “carload” traffic increased year-over-year in May. Intermodal traffic (the combination of rail with another mode of transport) increased for the 42nd straight month, totaling 1.2 million containers and trailers, up 3 percent over May 2012.
P&W moves 4 million tons of materials and products each year, using a variety of equipment, with approximately 35 percent of the loads originating or terminating in Connecticut, Rogers said. Over 90 percent of the freight eventually moves over state lines destined for locations throughout North America.
P&W operates within the Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Long Island/New York City region.
The railroad has between 10 and 15 trains operating at any given time and employs 160 people. It uses 30 locomotives and approximately 200 railcars, hoppers, gondolas and auto carriers to move goods across 525 miles of rail. The company also has six passenger cars.
For shippers, moving their products over the rails provides several benefits, including the ability to pack more product onto a railcar, experts say.
Rick Blasgen, president & CEO of the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals, said each railcar can haul the equivalent of up to four semitrailers, potentially taking those vehicles off the road. That creates an environmental benefit as well.
As simple as it seems, though, there are challenges to moving goods via rail. P&W only owns about 50 percent of the rails it operates on. That means scheduling train time on rails owned by Amtrak and Metro-North, which requires flexibility in scheduling as well as constant communication between shippers, receivers and other railroads.
“Both freight and passenger [traffic] are growing,” said Rogers. “Both are critical to the state in moving people, goods and mitigating highway congestion. All parties are working closely at the state, federal and private levels to be sure we can accommodate both and do it well.”
To help mitigate problems and speed delivery, Providence & Worcester employs GPS and Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) software as well as real-time car tracking so it knows where its equipment and customer’s goods are at any given time.