Railway Track & Structures - April 2008 - (Page 8)

I N D U S T R Y T O D AY mobile computer system at the heart of this initiative will help CN manage engineering processes more efficiently, reduce engineering-related delays to trains, improve labor efficiency as a result of better information availability, and increase material and machine utilization. All three capital programs are part of a plan to invest approximately C$1.5 billion company-wide in 2008, of which more than C$1.1 billion will be focused on track infrastructure. Equipment spending, targeted to reach approximately C$140 million in 2008, will include the acquisition of new fuel-efficient locomotives, as well as improvements to the existing fleet. CN also expects to spend approximately C$250 million on facilities to grow the business, including transloads and distribution centers, information technology to improve service and operating efficiency, and other projects to increase productivity. held a ribbon-cutting ceremony March 14 to launch operations of its rail-truck intermodal hub at the former RichardsGebaur Airport near Kansas City, Mo. Business and civic leaders see the center as the first step in developing an international freight distribution hub at the former airport, with companies eventually occupying warehouses and storage facilities there. The official opening of the CenterPoint-KCS Intermodal Center has been a long time coming for KCS Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Mike Haverty. Haverty said he initially inquired about building a freight facility at Richards-Gebaur when he joined Kansas City Southern in 1995, but he was told the operation’s lighting would be detrimental to planes flying into the airport. A few years later, after a commission recommended closing RichardsGebaur as an airport (which happened in 2000), civic leaders approached KCS about the possibility of building a freight hub there. Operations at the new center began March 17 as KCS moved its intermodal operations from the East Bottoms. The new 340-acre center has 11,340 feet of rail track, gate security, access to two major highways and room for growth. But KCS’ involvement is just the first phase. CenterPoint Properties of Chicago is the lead developer of the $200million project and is demolishing unusable buildings to make way for the construction of industrial buildings to be leased by shippers. CenterPoint acquired parts of the former air base from the Kansas City Port Authority last year. It initially plans to build five million square feet of freight storage space on 970 acres. The CenterPoint-KCS center is one of several intermodal facilities Kansas City Southern is building or expanding along its north-south route from Kansas City to the port of Lazaro Cardenas, Mexico. In addition to Kansas City, the railroad is building new intermodal centers that will open later this year or early next year in Lazaro Cardenas, Mexico City and Rosenberg, Texas. KCS also is adding to existing intermodal facilities in Dallas and Jackson, Miss. KCS and partners launch intermodal hub in Missouri Kansas City Southern and its partners 8 Railway Track & Structures April 2008 www.rtands.com http://www.wch.com http://www.wch.com http://www.rtands.com

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Railway Track & Structures - April 2008 Contents On Track Industry Today Supplier News AREMA News NRC News TTCI R&D Railroads Seeking More Advanced Systems to Handle Materials SKOL Bounces Back From Summer Flood Landmark Railroad Bridges Need Inspection, Too Products and Literature People Calendar Sales Representatives Advertisers Index Website Directory Professional Directory Classified Advertising Chicago Perspective

Railway Track & Structures - April 2008

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