Norfolk Southern Earns Leadership Rating from CDP

Dec. 8, 2021 - Norfolk Southern has been awarded an A- climate change rating by CDP, the leading carbon disclosure system for the global business community. The rating places Norfolk Southern in CDP’s highest rated tier, the Leadership Level.

The achievement was largely driven by Norfolk Southern’s pursuit of a science-based emissions reduction target for efficiency, targeting a 42% reduction by 2034 from 2019, announced earlier this year. The company made a 7% reduction in carbon emissions intensity in 2020 alone. Additionally, the company’s ongoing participation in forest carbon projects and efforts to source clean energy for Norfolk Southern facilities also played a critical role. Looking to the future, Norfolk Southern is driving toward further locomotive fuel efficiency and increasing the use of biofuels.

“Reducing our carbon footprint is central to how we operate our company – it’s good business and good for the planet,” said Norfolk Southern chief sustainability officer, Josh Raglin. “Whether that’s through more efficient locomotives or setting aggressive goals for ourselves, we aim to make the most environmentally friendly way to move freight over land even more sustainable. Importantly, our efforts also have a positive impact on the carbon footprint of our customer’s supply chain operations.”

Rail is one of the most sustainable ways to move the goods that power our economy, moving 45% of the long-distance freight in the U.S. but producing only 7% of all freight-related emissions. Norfolk Southern has adopted technologies and smart operating practices that have improved the fuel efficiency of its locomotive fleet, which accounts for the vast majority of its emissions. The company improved locomotive fuel efficiency by 5% in 2020 and has improved by an additional 3% year to date.

CDP is a non-profit organization that administers the most widely used carbon disclosure ratings across the world. Norfolk Southern was among the first companies to begin voluntary reporting its greenhouse gas emissions in 2009.

SOURCE: Norfolk Southern

New Rail Shuttle from Middle Sweden to Port of Gothenburg Boosts Forest Product Exports

Aug. 30, 2021 - A new rail shuttle is about to begin transporting timber products from Malungsfors in Dalarna to Asia via the Port of Gothenburg. The new shuttle will generate substantial carbon savings and logistical benefits, consolidating the port as the principal hub for the export of Swedish timber products.

The driving force behind the newly established rail shuttle is the Fiskarheden sawmill, working in close collaboration with the forwarding company Träfraktkontoret. The first train to depart will carry 32 40-foot containers from the Japanese shipping company ONE and will arrive at the Port of Gothenburg on 30 August.

Previously, timber products were transported by road via the Port of Gävle. The new arrangement via Gothenburg offers both logistical benefits and carbon savings. Transporting freight from the Fiskarheden facility in Malung-Sälen by rail to the Port of Gothenburg and on to the final destination in Japan reduces the carbon footprint of each container from 406 to 207 kilos of carbon dioxide per TEU (20-foot container)*.

Fiskarheden – which produces more than 370,000 cubic metres of sawn timber per year, of which more than 90% is purchased outside Sweden – has invested heavily in the transformation of the rail terminal in Malungsfors to facilitate container handling. They are now all set to go with a modern, highly efficient facility.

“The fact that we can handle and stuff containers here in Malungsfors is a major step forward. It is a long-term investment that will open up new markets for us via the Port of Gothenburg and it is definitely the right path to follow in our ambition to reduce our climate footprint,” said Magnus Larsson, Fiskarheden chief executive.

“It is an impressive and highly focused investment that we are undertaking here in Malungsfors. It is inspiring to see that many companies in the forest industry are choosing the Port of Gothenburg to a greater extent and that the port can contribute to reinforcing the international competitiveness of the forest industry by offering frequent departures, an efficient, climate-smart service, and direct transportation to the continent,” said Richard Mellgren, Senior Business Development Manager at the Gothenburg Port Authority.

High Demand for Swedish Forest Products

The forest industry has for a long time been a cornerstone of Swedish basic industry with annual exports totalling 145 billion kronor (2020)**. More than 80% of Swedish forest products are sent abroad (23.4 million tonnes in 2020), making Sweden the fifth-largest forest product exporter in the world. The trend in Sweden has been positive for many years and particularly so in recent times with exports rising by 6% since 2018.***

The use of wood in a variety of sectors, including the construction industry, is growing as a more climate-smart alternative to steel and concrete. New areas of use are emerging with forest products replacing plastic and other non-degradable materials in the manufacturing of clothing, chemicals, hygiene products, and technical components.

According to Magnus Larsson, a whole series of factors are coming together to make Swedish forest products particularly attractive on the world market.

“The trademark of Swedish forest products is quality. Slow-growing trees produce high-quality raw material with a good structure, complemented by the first-rate delivery assurance offered by Swedish forest product companies.”

References:

* According to calculations from IVL, Swedish Environmental Institute.

** Swedish Forest Industries Federation.

*** Statistics Sweden.

SOURCE: Port of Gothenburg

Norfolk Southern to Reopen Pennsylvania Intermodal Facility

Aug. 13, 2021 - Norfolk Southern today announced plans to reopen its intermodal facility in Greencastle, Pennsylvania, creating capacity to support economic growth and help ease supply-chain congestion that has slowed the flow of commerce across all modes of the U.S. transportation sector.

Effective Sept. 10, the railroad plans a gradual phase-in of business at the Franklin County Regional Intermodal Facility, starting with a lane of domestic intermodal traffic that currently moves between Norfolk Southern intermodal facilities in Memphis and Rutherford, in South Central Pennsylvania. Greencastle will provide additional terminal capacity and help to improve service as demand for the railroad's robust franchise continues to grow.

"With strong growth in volume driven by e-commerce and a recovering economy, we believe the timing is right to bring our Greencastle facility back online," said Chief Marketing Officer Alan Shaw. "We are excited about the new opportunities that this reopening provides for us and for our business partners across Pennsylvania and beyond. We are collaborating with our customers to support their business needs, offering shippers a more sustainable transportation solution and a commitment to best-in-class service."

Norfolk Southern opened the Greencastle facility in January 2013 as part of its Crescent Corridor initiative, a public-private partnership designed to convert freight from highway to rail to ease congested roadways and reduce carbon emissions while creating opportunities for jobs and economic development. Under the initiative, the railroad also constructed intermodal terminals in Birmingham, Charlotte, and Memphis as part of a 2,500-mile rail corridor from the Gulf Coast to the Northeast. The company idled the Greencastle terminal in 2019 for business reasons, while leaving open the possibility of resuming operations if market conditions changed.

A combination of factors, including a rapid rise in e-commerce, strong market demand, and pandemic-driven supply chain changes, figured into the decision to reopen Greencastle. The added capacity at Greencastle is expected to reduce terminal congestion and improve network fluidity across Pennsylvania.

The Greencastle terminal has the capacity for an estimated 100,000 shipping container lifts annually. A lift occurs every time a container is lifted onto or off of a rail car. The first phase of traffic at Greencastle is expected to generate around 50,000 lifts.

SOURCE: Norfolk Southern

Finnlog Expanding Its Operations with 35 New Wood Chip Wagons

June 14, 2021 - Finnlog, the Russian subsidiary of VR Group, is expanding its operations with 35 new wood chip wagons that will allow for importing wood chips from Russia to Finland. The company is investing in the additional wood chip wagons that will import chips from Russia to the Metsä Group pulp mill in Joutseno.

The majority of the imported wood chips are from Metsä Group’s Svir sawmill.

“Finnlog’s operations have been launched with a flying start, and there is clearly demand for the import traffic service model offered by the company among our Finnish customers in industry. The wood chip wagons expand our selection and increase our competitiveness very well,” said Martti Koskinen, Senior Vice President at VR Transpoint.

Finnlog is active in import transport between Finland and Russia providing specialised in the wagon operating services of eastern traffic. The company, which was established in 2019, now has a fleet of about 350 wagons that are available to VR Transpoint’s key customers.

Finnlog’s operating model is based on developing service solutions based on customer needs in accordance with VR Transpoint’s core activities. For example, Metsä Group is leasing Finnlog’s wagons for their own logistical needs. This allows Metsä Group to prepare their own transport plans that are realised by professionals in the railway industry.

“Finnlog’s aim is to continue expanding its operations to new customers and product groups. We are currently in the process of negotiations with several customers. There is demand for import traffic from Russia and a lot of potential, so we are also investing in this,” Koskinen noted.

VR Transpoint is operating 300 freight trains per day in domestic and foreign traffic offering wide-ranging fleet of equipment for transporting both goods and raw materials. The transport operator is providing transport services that are focused on exportation of products and raw materials.

The company has long-term relationships with Russian Railways and Russian wagon operators and other companies offering rail logistics services tailored for tis customers involving the entire logistics chain with supplementary services.

SOURCE: VR Group