Working on a capital improvement project, Union Railroad began having problems with a ballast supplier who couldn't deliver materials on time, potentially causing serious railroad disruptions. RiverLift stepped in with a reliable storage and trucking solution that allowed the project to stay on track.
Background
Union Railroad was working on a capital improvement project in western Pennsylvania that involved replacement of 40 track switches. The project required complete removal and replacement of the steel rail, ties and ballast. Because this section of track carried a lot of rail traffic, work had to be tightly coordinated with the train schedule.
Challenges
Construction crews at the project location had a limited window of time to get each switch back in service, so it was critical that all materials be delivered on site at the correct time. Any delays in completing the work could seriously disrupt the railroad. Unfortunately, the railroad's ballast supplier was having trouble getting the ballast to the site on schedule.
Solution
The railroad switched to RiverLift. By pre-staging ballast material at the RiverLift terminal, and having trucking dispatchers work directly with the project superintendent, we ensured that the ballast would always make it to the right location on time.
