Railex
Railex LLC is a refrigerated rail service in partnership with the Union Pacific Railroad and CSX that transports fruits, vegetables and other temperature sensitive cargo across the United States. In 2006 Railex launched service between Wallula, Washington, and Rotterdam, New York, followed in 2008 by a Delano, California to NY lane. Railex runs unit trains of 55 large, "plate F" refrigerated cars and promises regularly scheduled departures and arrival on a five-day service schedule. It claims reduced carbon emissions when compared to conventional trucking. Railex' system is based on palletized cargo, which is loaded and unloaded indoors in temperature control docks that preserve a cold chain for the cargo. It also provides warehousing and can handle less-than-truckload (LTL) shipments. Railex plans to add two additional facilities, near Chicago and in the southeast US, in 2013.
References
- Trains Magazine (February 2010) A Fresh Approach
- Treehugger (A Discovery Company)(November 2009) Massive Trains
- Washington state Government presentation circa 2002 [1]