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June 28, 2024|Class I

Class I Briefs: NS, UP

Written by Marybeth Luczak, Executive Editor
Six fully electric cranes power NS’s stacking operation at Austell, Ga., which the Class I says “represent a significant step toward reducing environmental impact and increasing operational efficiency.” (NS Photograph)
Six fully electric cranes power NS’s stacking operation at Austell, Ga., which the Class I says “represent a significant step toward reducing environmental impact and increasing operational efficiency.” (NS Photograph)
Norfolk Southern (NS) switches from a wheeled to a stacked operation at its Austell, Ga., intermodal terminal. Also, Union Pacific (UP) earns a 2023 Premier Supplier Award from Trinity Industries.

NS

NS on June 27 reported switching up its international freight handling at the Austell intermodal terminal—moving in March from a wheeled system to a stacked operation.

“Stacking helps us maximize space utilization, increasing our parking capacity by over 30%, and it provides flexibility in handling diverse cargo types and sizes,” NS said. “Reducing ground traffic also improves security, ensuring smoother operations and heightened safety.”

Atlanta-GA-AustellDownload

According to NS, stack optimization technology is being used the terminal. “This technology, which enhances transparency and optimizes yard inventory and crane movement operations, has already demonstrated its efficacy at [the] Rossville [terminal in Tennesee], which served as a precursor to the Austell launch,” the Class I reported.

NS’s “partner” drivers also help maintain “a fluid intermodal operation,” according to NS, which created a video tutorial (below) for drivers that interact with its Austell and Rossville terminals.

In a related development, the Port of Los Angeles in California on June 25 reported deploying “the first commercially available” battery-powered electric cargo top handlers in the U.S., as part of its zero-emissions strategy.

UP

Pictured (left to right): Clifton Ellis, General Director Marketing and Sales-Metals and Ores at UP; Karen Padilla, Manager Sales-Industrial Metals at UP; Mirna Yerger, Director, Rail Logistics at TrinityRail, and Terry Atkinson, Assistant Vice President-Industrial Products for UP. (UP Photograph)

Railcar lessor Trinity Industries recently presented UP with its 2023 Premier Supplier Award for Exceptional Service, the Class I railroad reported via LinkedIn on June 27. “This award recognizes UP’s commitment to safety, service and operational excellence to find solutions for our customers and keep their supply chains moving,” UP said.

Separately, the first of six cutting-edge hybrid battery-electric locomotives designed and built by UP and locomotive control systems supplier ZTR are now being tested at a UP facility and rail yard.