CSX, Union Pacific create intermodal scheme to rival trucks

UMAX, a new truck-competitive domestic railway interline scheme from CSX Intermodal and the Union Pacific, will provide customers access to more than 20,000 containers and greater market reach, according to a joint statement.

UMAX will feature more than 600 service lanes supported by faster and more frequent train schedules starting from March 29, reported Houston-based Refrigerated Transporter magazine.

Dubbed UMAX, the service will give customers single-bill interline routing on more than 600 traffic lanes, and the railroads are backing it up with 20,000 of the big 53-foot boxes.

UMAX will replace the separate programmes CSX Intermodal and Union Pacific offer customers today for CSXI-UP interline service, said the statement.

"UMAX will offer extensive market access and expanded capacity across a nationwide intermodal network," said Union Pacific vice-president and intermodal chief John Kaiser.

"Union Pacific and CSX Intermodal are committed to delivering market-competitive service and value to our customers, providing truck-competitive schedules that maximise the benefits and efficiencies of rail intermodal," he said.

Said CSX Intermodal president James Hertwig: "In a word, UMAX offers. We will jointly offer more containers and more lanes to more customers with more competitive schedules than ever."

The statement said UMAX offers truck-competitive service in key lanes, expanded network access to markets across North America, access to more than 20,000 53-foot containers, ramp-to-ramp and door-to-door service, easy, web-based container reservations and billing through REZ-1 and a simple one-container, one freight bill transportation solution.

UMAX will offer rail-provided 53-foot containers to intermodal marketing companies, motor carriers, freight brokers, truckload, parcel and less-than-truckload customers.

CSX Intermodal, a subsidiary of CSX Corporation, based in Jacksonville, Florida, is a stand-alone integrated intermodal company serving customers from origin to destination with its own truck and terminal operations plus a dedicated domestic container fleet. Connecting more than 66 per cent of the US population, CSXI offers a US-wide network of over 40 terminals.

Union Pacific Corporation owns the Union Pacific Railroad that links 23 states in the western two-thirds of the country and serves many of the fastest-growing US population centres. Union Pacific also connects with Canada's rail systems and is the only railway serving all six major gateways to Mexico.

(Source: www.schednet.com)