sustainable rail

Parallel Systems gets $4M grant from DOE

Parallel Systems, a Culver City, California-based company that aims to produce autonomous battery-electric rail vehicles, has received a $4.44 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy initiative (ARPA-E). 

Parallel, founded by former SpaceX engineers in 2020, will use the grant to fund a 29-month advanced testing program that will start in the second quarter of this year. The company says autonomous battery-electric rail vehicles could make...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/parallel-systems-gets-4m-grant-from-doe

Rail Roundup: Leadership transitions, US rail traffic dips in January

Union Pacific names Beth Whited as EVP of sustainability and strategy

Union Pacific has named Beth Whited as executive vice president of sustainability and strategy, effective immediately.

This new role for Whited — she has served as EVP and chief human resources officer for UP since 2018 and will continue to lead that division — comes as UP (NYSE: UNP) is seeking to reach a goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. The railroad just announced plans to purchase 20 battery-electric locomotives as...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/rail-roundup-leadership-transitions-us-rail-traffic-dips-in-january

CSX, Norfolk Southern tout intermodal investments in South, Midwest

Eastern U.S. railroads CSX and Norfolk Southern are involved in two projects aimed at bolstering intermodal infrastructure and assets in the South and Midwest.

Inland container transfer facility planned to support Port of Mobile

The Alabama Port Authority has approved a $2.04 million purchase of 272 acres in Montgomery for construction of an inland container intermodal transfer facility that will support container traffic from the Port of Mobile.

The port says extending intermodal rail service...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/csx-norfolk-southern-tout-intermodal-investments-in-south-midwest

Freight rail panel: Sustainability needn’t break the bank

While battery-electric and hydrogen-powered locomotives have received the lion’s share of coverage when it comes to North American freight railroads and sustainability initiatives, a railroad seeking to adopt sustainability or climate resiliency measures need not spend vast amounts of money.

Indeed, implementing sustainability initiatives may consist of determining where to adjust existing procedures to align with the goal of reducing carbon emissions, according to panelists who spoke at the Tran...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/freight-rail-panel-sustainability-neednt-break-the-bank

BNSF, Progress Rail, Chevron to demonstrate hydrogen-powered locomotive

BNSF, Chevron U.S.A. and Caterpillar subsidiary Progress Rail have each signed a memorandum of understanding to demonstrate a locomotive powered by hydrogen fuel cells in order to confirm the feasibility and performance of hydrogen fuel to power locomotives. 

The MOU has three objectives. If successful, the demonstration would be a step toward providing a lower-emitting alternative to diesel-fueled locomotives, the three companies said in a Tuesday release.

“BNSF is pleased to collaborate with...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/bnsf-progress-rail-chevron-to-demonstrate-hydrogen-powered-locomotive

Greenbrier, U.S. Steel and Norfolk Southern green the gondola

Eastern Class I railroad Norfolk Southern, railcar manufacturer Greenbrier and steel producer U.S. Steel have worked together to produce a sustainable gondola railcar.

NS (NYSE: NSC) will initially acquire 800 of these gondolas, engineered by Greenbrier (NYSE: GBX) with a high-strength, lighter-weight steel from U.S. Steel (NYSE: X), the three said Thursday. The creation of the gondola comes with the understanding that the existing aging fleet will need to be replaced someday with a design...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/greenbrier-us-steel-and-norfolk-southern-green-the-gondola

CSX, CN get ‘A’ on climate action, UP releases climate plan

Union Pacific, CN and CSX get recognition for climate action and release plans.

Environmental disclosure nonprofit CDP, formerly the Carbon Disclosure Project, on Tuesday released its list of companies leading the charge on climate change. Only 272 out of nearly 12,000 companies that disclosed information gained “A-lister” status for their efforts on climate.

Railways CN (NYSE: CNI) and CSX (NASDAQ: CSX) were among the roughly 2% of companies that earned A’s. This is Montreal-based CN’s sixth time on the A list and Jacksonville, Florida-based CSX’s ninth.

“CSX is proud to be...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/csx-cn-get-a-on-climate-action-up-releases-climate-plan

Is compressed natural gas finally feasible for railroad applications?

CNGmotive’s solution for fueling locomotives provides potential to decarbonize rail using renewable natural gas.

Railroads transport goods extremely efficiently, especially in terms of fuel and greenhouse gas emissions. But most locomotives still run on fossil fuels.

Use of cleaner alternatives such as battery-electric or hydrogen requires new locomotives. However, diesel-powered locomotives can be retrofitted to run on natural gas, enabling companies to more cost-effectively reduce GHG emissions without having to retire locomotives that have years of useful life left.

Challenges of natural gas for rail

Stori...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/is-compressed-natural-gas-finally-feasible-for-railroad-applications

CSX, Canadian Pacific lauded for efforts to reduce GHGs

A photograph of a freight train against a bright sky.

Two Class I railroads have earned kudos for their efforts to lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

CSX (NASDAQ: CSX) and Canadian Pacific (NYSE: CP) garnered a spot on the 2021 Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) North America this month. The index, a partnership between Dow Jones Indices and RobecoSAM Sustainability Assessments, scores companies on their ability to meet environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria. 

“We are extremely pleased the DJSI continues to recognize CSX as an...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/csx-canadian-pacific-lauded-for-efforts-to-reduce-ghgs

CN expands foray into sustainability through electric locomotives, renewable diesel

A photograph of a train hauling railcars.

Canadian railway CN is delving into two sustainability initiatives that seek to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from a locomotive’s power sources.

First, CN (NYSE: CNI) and Wabtec (NYSE: WAB) announced Thursday that CN has purchased Wabtec’s FLXdrive battery-electric locomotive. CN plans to partner with Wabtec to put into service the next-generation technology, which CN says can reduce fuel consumption and emissions by up to 30%.

The acquisition was awarded financial support via the marine and...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/cn-expands-foray-into-sustainability-through-electric-locomotives-renewable-diesel

+ More