CN has partnered with other organizations to develop a plastics resins export facility in Alabama near the Port of Mobile. The facility will open in late 2021.
The facility aims to provide plastics producers with an alternative to the Gulf Coast.
The campaign is part of a broader effort to prevent the spillage of the tiny pellets during their transport.
A new rule adopted by the Surface Transportation Board, effective July 20, calls for the Class I railroads to report when railcars designated for chemicals or plastics are held for longer than two days.
Jim Blaze writes about the long, slow decline of coal as the key commodity for railroads, and whether plastics might replace the lost volume.
The rulemakings address cost of capital calculations and rail performance data for chemicals and plastics traffic; shippers also press Board to act on fuel surcharges.
