The service, which the railroads announced in September, now “opens a new gateway linking Kentucky’s strong manufacturing base to key domestic markets and global trade corridors via West and Southwest ports,” NS reported Oct. 27. With additional capacity available, it is “primed to support more customers looking to expand their reach.”
The bidirectional service originates and terminates in the Louisville market, which offers direct access to major highways, rail lines, and inland ports, along with a deep pool of skilled labor. The interchange between NS and UP is at the latter’s new Kansas City Intermodal Terminal. Railcars are routed to and from Los Angeles and Lathrop, Calif.; Seattle, Wash.; Portland, Ore.; Salt Lake City, Utah; and Houston, Tex. It provides automotive, consumer goods, food and beverage, healthcare and manufacturing customers “truck-competitive transit times and expanded market reach.”
GE Appliances’ Appliance Park campus in Louisville is served by NS and includes five major manufacturing plants and serves as the company’s global headquarters. The site contributes $12.8 billion annually to Kentucky’s gross domestic product, supports more than 38,000 jobs, and generates $655 million in state and local taxes, according to NS, which noted that recent investments include a $490 million expansion that will bring washer production back to the United States and create 800 new full-time jobs.
“This new service underscores our commitment to helping American manufacturers expand and compete in new markets,” said Ed Elkins, NS Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer. “Kentucky is a pivotal production and distribution hub, and, if approved, a true coast-to-coast railroad [combining NS and UP] stands to unlock even greater opportunities for growth and connectivity in the years ahead.”
“Our customers want optionality and fast, reliable freight service that allows them to compete and expand into new markets,” commented Kenny Rocker, UP Executive Vice President–Marketing and Sales. “This new intermodal service gives them a critical transportation tool to win, providing reliable access to western and southern markets, while leveraging Union Pacific’s expanded Kansas City Intermodal Terminal in the Midwest.”
“The Norfolk Southern Appliance Park domestic intermodal ramp is a strategic gateway for GE Appliances, supporting our continued growth, as well as our newly announced $490 million home laundry investment in Louisville, Ky.,” commented Adam Wiseman, Senior Director of Logistics responsible for strategy, inventory and deployment at GE Appliances. “This service strengthens our ability to deliver innovation at scale and reach customers faster and more efficiently while also removing trucks from the highway.”
“Louisville is the heart of American manufacturing and the intersection where location, innovation, and logistics meet to ship goods and services to people across the country and around the world,” added Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg. “Norfolk Southern and Union Pacific’s investment to build a new domestic rail service between Louisville and key West Coast and Southern markets is proof that the future of business and manufacturing runs straight through our city.”
