Paper company weighs switch from truck to rail

Paper company weighs switch from truck to rail MeadWestvaco Corp. said it has recently concluded a trial with CSX Transportation, Lydall Distribution Services, and the Virginia Port Authority to replace truck shipments from the company’s Covington, Va., paper mill to the Port of Virginia with railroad transportation.
   The trial ended in October, and the company said it is examining the cost, efficiency and environmental advantages of rail transportation over trucking before implementing permanent changes.
   “If we can decrease the amount of commercial traffic on Virginia’s roads, while getting our product to its destination in a timely and economical manner, everyone wins,” said Chris Osen, vice president of supply management at MeadWestvaco.
   MeadWestvaco began the trial earlier this year with a goal of transporting 4,000 tons of paper per month from its Covington mill to Lydall’s facility at Newport News Marine Terminal. The Covington mill produces nearly 22,000 tons of paper per month, nearly all of which would be transported by rail if the trial proves successful.
   MeadWestvaco estimates that the transfer to rail will remove more than 400 trucks per week from Virginia’s roads and significantly reduce emissions.