New generation rail, steel-imbedded crossties, angular rock ballast key ingredients in CPR's western capacity expansion
03 Luglio 2005 - 4:00PM
PR Newswire (US)
New generation rail, steel-imbedded crossties, angular rock ballast
key ingredients in CPR's western capacity expansion CALGARY, July 3
/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Canadian Pacific Railway (TSX/NYSE: CP)
is installing more than 530,000 feet of heavy premium rail, 137,000
crossties, and 300,000 tons of rock ballast as it carries out a
$160- million program to expand freight capacity this year between
the Canadian Prairies and the Vancouver Gateway. The track
materials are required for expansion work in 25 critical locations
to meet growing demand for rail service. When the work is completed
in the fourth quarter of 2005, CPR will have enough capacity to run
38 trains a day between the Prairies and the Vancouver Gateway, an
increase of four trains a day, or more than 400 freight cars, over
current capacity. CPR is installing premium chrome-alloy rail to
support the long, heavy trains that increase productivity in rail
operations. CPR is also installing on mountain grades a new
generation of premium rail that is highly resistant to wear and
fatigue under heavy loads and demanding operating conditions. The
new rail has high chromium content and the steel in the railhead is
hardened to a greater degree and depth than in standard rail. The
new rail's longer service life reduces maintenance and replacement
costs. Laid end to end, the 530,000 feet of rail would stretch from
Calgary to Lethbridge. Rail is handled in quarter-mile lengths
weighing almost 60,000 lbs. When installed, the joints are welded
to produce a continuous, seamless and smooth rail that reduces wear
on freight car wheels. CPR is using hardwood and concrete crossties
in its expansion program. About 25 per cent of the 137,000
crossties being installed are a recently developed concrete tie
that is cast with an imbedded steel plate to reduce abrasion,
extending its life. It is being installed in high curvature track
to support long, heavy trains. CPR expects the concrete tie to last
up to 40 years, compared with a hardwood tie lifespan of 20 to 25
years. Rock ballast provides a safe, solid bed for the rail and
crossties. CPR is using more than 300,000 tons of mostly granite in
this year's capacity expansion - enough to fill 14,000 dump trucks.
The crushed rock must meet hardness and durability specifications,
be no larger than two and a half inches and have sufficient
fractured faces and angularity that they virtually interlock when
tamped in place. These characteristics produce a ballast that
distributes the load from passing trains, allows water to drain and
resists plant growth that can destabilize the track. The
Prairies-to-Vancouver track, which crosses the rugged Rocky
Mountains, is CPR's busiest corridor and volumes continue to grow
with heavy demand in Asia for Canadian commodities and resources
and increasing imports of consumer goods made in Asia and destined
for store shelves. CPR's $160-million expansion program this year
is in addition to planned capital investment of approximately $760
million. Canadian Pacific Railway is a transcontinental carrier
operating in Canada and the U.S. Its 14,000-mile rail network
serves the principal centres of Canada, from Montreal to Vancouver,
and the U.S. Northeast and Midwest regions. CPR feeds directly into
America's heartland from the East and West coasts. Alliances with
other carriers extend its market reach throughout the U.S. and into
Mexico. Canadian Pacific Logistics Solutions provides logistics and
supply chain expertise worldwide. For more information, visit CPR's
website at: http://www.cpr.ca/ DATASOURCE: Canadian Pacific Railway
CONTACT: Media: Len Cocolicchio, Tel.: (403) 319-7591, Email: ;
Investors: Paul Bell, Vice-President, Investor Relations, Tel.:
(403) 319-3591, Email:
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