Class I Briefs: CPKC, CSX, NS, UP
Written by Marybeth Luczak, Executive Editor
CPKC on June 26 reported via LinkedIn that it has opened its newest automotive facility near Dallas, Tex., to boost vehicle distribution capacity. (Screen Grab of CPKC Video Posted on LinkedIn)
Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) opens a new automotive facility in Texas. Also, CSX earns a 2024 Navy Employer Recognition Award; Norfolk Southern (NS) launches its 2024 internship program; Union Pacific (UP) EVP Marketing and Sales Kenny Rocker provides a service status report, and UP is teaming with Viterra to serve a new grain facility in Dalhart, Tex.
CPKC
CPKC on June 26 reported via social media that it has opened a new automotive facility near Dallas, Tex., to boost vehicle distribution capacity. The Class I said it offers improved service and reliability for automotive manufacturers.
The 30-acre Dallas Automotive Compound is located at the Dallas Wylie Terminal, according to CPKC.
“Our single-line network creates a powerful, dedicated automotive supply chain for customers looking to secure railcar supply and expand their facilities to meet increasing demand, including in fast-growing electric vehicle markets,” CPKC said in May when it announced this month’s launch.
CSX
CSX on June 11 was recognized as an honoree at the 2024 Navy Employer Recognition Event (NERE), hosted by Vice Adm. John B. Mustin, Chief of Navy Reserve and Commander, Navy Reserve Force.
“NERE honors outstanding civilian employers who have demonstrated exceptional support for their citizen-Sailor employees, going above and beyond the requirements of the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act,” according to CSX, which was among 47 companies to receive this award.
CSX’s Stephanie Noel, Vice President of Human Resources and Chief Diversity Officer, and Brian Morgan, Senior Talent Advisor, accepted the award on behalf of the Class I railroad.
“We are deeply honored to receive the Navy Employer Recognition Award,” said Noel, who will be a speaker at the Railway Age / RT&S 2024 Women in Rail Conference, to be held Nov. 5-6 in Chicago. “CSX is committed to creating an inclusive and supportive work environment for all our employees, including those who serve in the military. This recognition is a testament to our dedication to supporting our citizen-Sailors as they balance their civilian careers and military duties.”
According to CSX, 16% of its employees are veterans and active-duty military.
In related developments, CSX in May visited the Nasdaq MarketSite in New York City’s Times Square with Blue Star Families, a chapter-based non-profit organization representing military connected families, to ring the Opening Bell, and was recognized for its work helping veterans achieve post-military employment.
NS
NS has welcomed 66 interns to its 2024 Summer Internship Program. From 36 different schools across the country, they are joining the Corporate and Field Operations teams, according to Craig Conyers Jr., who works in University Relations/Talent Acquisition for NS.
“Our interns have hit the ground running, immersing themselves in the railroad industry, visiting rail yards, attending professional development sessions, and applying their classroom knowledge to real-world scenarios to drive NS business forward,” Conyers wrote in a LinkedIn post this month. “We can’t wait to see the impact this group will have on our organization.”
In a related development, CSX recently announced the addition of more than 20 Leadership Development Program associates; over the next year, they will “gain leadership skills through top-notch training and hands-on experience,” the railroad reported.
UP
UP’s Kenny Rocker on June 26 provided customers with an online status report, focusing on recent weather events and their impact on the railroad’s network. “As I mentioned last month, we saw significant weather events throughout May especially in the southeast region of our network—from flash flooding and washouts to high winds and tornados,” he reported. “We have implemented multiple initiatives across the Texas Gulf areas to improve fluidity and operational efficiencies, including locomotive resource additions and temporary trip plan adjustments.
“Last week, heavy rains struck portions of our network in Oklahoma, north Texas, Iowa and Minnesota leading to severe flooding. While our routes through Oklahoma and Texas are back in service, the flooding in Minnesota and Iowa washed out several key corridors and track segments. We continue to monitor water levels in these two states. Our Engineering team is actively repairing track where the water has receded, and is prepared with crews, equipment and track material to make repairs to other track segments as soon as the water recedes. In the meantime, we are rerouting traffic, when possible, around the impacted areas to keep shipments moving.”
He noted that in the first half of 2024, several states experienced and are currently experiencing “record rainfall and dangerous flooding,” and he encouraged customers to take steps to be prepared when extreme weather hits. “If you have advanced notice of severe storms, you should divert railcars to reduce the inventory levels at your facility to protect both the product and equipment from damage,” Rocker wrote. “We ask that you stay in communication with us so we understand your operations plan and we can resume service as quickly as possible.” He also provided the following resources to help “prepare for and recover from flooding or a hurricane making landfall”:
“Thank you for your patience and cooperation as we work with customers impacted by the severe weather,” Rocker concluded. “Service challenges from one region of the network may affect other areas as we hold trains due to unsafe or inoperable track conditions. Our Operating and Engineering teams are working around the clock to restore service as quickly as possible and return to the level of service you expect.”
For more on recent weather-related impacts on railroads, read Railway Age Editor-in-Chief William C. Vantuono’s report: “BNSF Suffers South Dakota Bridge Collapse.”
UP “appreciates and values the relationship we have with Viterra U.S. to provide safe and reliable service,” the railroad reported via LinkedIn on June 26. And that partnership will continue, it said, as Viterra U.S. intends to build a grain facility in Dalhart, Tex., with a loop track for the railroad.
Expected to be completed in mid-2025, the facility is slated to offer a “state-of-the-art” grain handling system, Viterra reported in a June 26 announcement.
“As local demand for grain increases, this investment will allow us to market and move product more efficiently to customers in the West Texas area,” said Rayner Freyberg, CEO U.S. and Mexico for Viterra, which provides grain marketing, storage and handling services.
Added UP Senior Vice President-Marketing and Sales Jason Hess: “We innovate for growth just like this, investing more than $10 million per day in infrastructure, technology and network expansion to provide solutions for our customers to win in the marketplace.”
