Greener Railroading

Posted by A. Caleb Hartley on February 19th, 2008 filed in transportation

In Progressive Railroading’s January 2008 issue, the Union Pacific Railroad’s Green Initiatives were mentioned. 

The railroad has plans to buy a gross of “green switchers” (that’s 144 of them, folks), as well as joining the American Wind Energy Association (it would be the first railroad to do so) and investing $300 million into greening the Los Angeles Intermodal Container Transfer Facility (that’s fancy talk for “rail yard”). 

As far as transportation goes, rail is already significantly more fuel efficient than road or air (not sure about boat ship - sorry transportation folks) per container, but it’s good to see that at least one railroad is thinking further ahead, environmentally, than just the already-knowns.  Once company that is trying to reduce the pollution from the massive diesel engines on rail locomotives is Railpower Technologies - which focuses on reducing locomotive operators’ operating costs - while reducing emissions at the same time (full disclosure - I am NOT an investor in Railpower… yet).

I find it heartening to hear these stories of big, bad, pollution-spewing industries beginning to talk about their plans to get green.  Even if it ends up just being talk - it encourages the others to start thinking about it as well.  And someday, some of them actually will get green - and leave the others in their (carbon-neutral) dust.

Namaste,
A. Caleb Hartley

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Are you in a position to decide how your company’s freight is shipped? Would you more strongly consider a green shipping company? Jump on the comment train and let us know what you think about this!

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