Want to Reduce Greenhouse Gasses by 12 Million Tons A Year? Ship by Rail, Not by Truck

"Railroads are the most environmentally friendly and energy efficient way to move goods on land."

Freight trains have evolved over the years, carrying freight in a variety of ways, including taking semi-trailer rigs off the highways and shipping them on flat-cars. If you're anywhere near a railroad track, you'll see what are called intermodal trains carrying shipping containers stacked on top of one another, along with trailers and the usual box cars and other forms of equipment.

However, the physical infrastructure in some areas of the country creates a barrier for some railroads who want to stack shipping containers in order to carry more freight.

Such is the dilemma of mid-Atlantic coast rail line CSX, anticipating completion of the Panama Canal Upgrade project. When completed, ships with more than double the capacity of freight containers will be able to make the transition between the two oceans, increasing the amount of goods delivered to and shipped from mid-Atlantic ports.

CSX has launched it's National Gateway program, a $700 million project to expands the railway's freight carrying capacity.

I spoke with Mr. Robert Sullivan of CSX, about the project, what it will mean to the mid-Atlantic-Midwest shipping corridor, and to the environment.

"One immediate benefit is as this gets built, it takes trucks off the interstates, including Interstate 68," Bob Sullivan, CSX spokesman, said. "There are different benefits, and one of the main ones is the environment because this will reduce some of the material that goes into the air. It also will reduce the wear and tear on highways."

Click here to listen to the podcast interview.

I've posted a written version of the podcast on Gas2.0.