Container-Train Remote Locomotives an Industry First for CPR in Canada
18 Dicembre 2003 - 2:30PM
PR Newswire (US)
Container-Train Remote Locomotives an Industry First for CPR in
Canada Innovation under way as railway aims to cut costs, boost
service CALGARY, Dec. 18 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Canadian Pacific
Railway (TSX/NYSE: CP) this week becomes the first railway in
Canada to operate intermodal freight trains with mid-train
remote-control locomotives, the company announced today. Mimicking
the control inputs of engineers in leading locomotives, the
remote-control units enable CPR to run intermodal trains
approaching three kilometers in length through the winter when they
were previously shortened because of air-pressure loss in colder
temperatures. Since 1995 all new main-line locomotives ordered by
CPR have been equipped to operate in leading or remote-control
configuration. Introduction of remote-control locomotives is a
cornerstone of the railway's campaign to completely transform its
intermodal service, which moves consumer goods in containers and
truck trailers on rail cars. The railway is also reconstituting its
intermodal fleet, putting in service 5,500 new cars that can carry
double-stacked containers. With the new cars, CPR will have a
standardized fleet capable of handling any size of container in any
load configuration, and will do away with older cars that are less
flexible. The net result will be an estimated 28-per-cent increase
in containers per train and 16-per-cent decrease in intermodal
train starts, creating railway network capacity for more traffic.
CPR expects to reduce its overall intermodal rail car fleet by
about 1,300 cars without losing capacity, while lowering train-crew
costs. Service reliability is expected to improve, especially
during the more challenging winter period. "Over the past several
years we have significantly increased the capacity in our
intermodal facilities and expanded track sidings to accommodate
longer trains," said Rob Ritchie, President and Chief Executive
Officer of CPR. "Now the next critical steps - phasing in
remote-control locomotives and introducing a new rail car fleet -
are under way as we take CPR's intermodal service to a new level."
About 2,000 of the new intermodal cars will be in service by the
end of this month. The remainder will arrive in 2004. CPR pioneered
the use of remote-control locomotive technology in its
western-Canada coal trains in the 1970s, making it possible to
safely operate trains through the mountains at lengths previously
thought impossible. The advent of high-capacity trains was a key
development in helping Canada's coal industry overcome its
competitive disadvantage of being located a long way from ocean
shipping ports. CPR is now adapting the same concept to the
intermodal market, the fastest-growing railway market and one that
is highly service-sensitive. The design of CPR's new, high-power
alternating current locomotives allows them to be placed at the
head-end and anywhere else in the train. During train operations,
the controls of locomotives at each position are linked through
data telemetry, giving the head-end crew full command at all times.
Placing a locomotive in a remote-control position distributes
tractive effort and produces performance benefits not unlike those
of all-wheel drive in a highway passenger vehicle. It also boosts
air pressure to ensure sufficient braking power along the entire
length of the train in freezing temperatures. "CPR was the first
North American railway to use containers in domestic intermodal
service while everyone else was still using trailers," Mr. Ritchie
said. "We continue to look for ways to be innovative in the
intermodal business. Our latest move will position CPR for
continued growth in this important market." CPR serves both the
domestic and international intermodal markets. In the domestic
market, goods move in containers and trailers that are transferred
between rail cars and trucks. In the international market, goods
move in overseas containers that are transferred between ships,
rail cars and trucks. Last year, intermodal generated almost $900
million of CPR's $3.5 billion in freight revenue. In partnership
with the trucking industry, CPR offers intermodal freight shippers
the best of highway and railway technology over long-haul intercity
routes -- the unrivalled fuel economy of a freight train combined
with the dock-to-dock flexibility of a truck. About 70 per cent of
the Canadian population lives within a 160-kilometre drive of CPR's
major intermodal terminals. Forward-Looking Information: This news
release contains forward-looking information. Actual future results
may differ materially. The risks, uncertainties and other factors
that could influence actual results are described in CPR's annual
report and annual information form, and may be updated in CPR's
consolidated interim financial statements and interim Management's
Discussion and Analysis, which are filed with securities regulators
from time to time. However, CPR undertakes no obligation to update
publicly or otherwise revise any forward-looking information,
whether as a result of new information, future events, or
otherwise. Financial results in this news release are reported in
Canadian dollars. CPR, recognized internationally for its scheduled
railway operations, 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. For more information, visit CPR's website at
http://www.cpr.ca/. DATASOURCE: Canadian Pacific Railway CONTACT:
Contacts: Media, Paul Thurston, 416-595-3032, Investment Community,
Paul Bell, Vice-President Investor Relations, 403-319-3591,
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