www.railroad.net. US UP News.... 6th November 2011

www.railroad.net

UP Reveals New Convertable Rail Car

Union Pacific is the largest automotive shipper west of the Mississippi with 18,000 automobile carrying rail cars, but on November 4, Union Pacific revealed a notable improvement to their rail car fleet, the Autoflex® rail car.  The Autoflex® rail car is a 90-foot multi-level rail car designed and built by Union Pacific employees to improve automobile shipping.  The car’s main feature is the capability to be easily transformed from two to three decks, depending on customers shipping needs.   The unique design of Union Pacific’s new rail car creates a variety of benefits.  According to Union Pacific:
-The flexibility of three decks to transport small vehicles or two decks to accommodate large vehicles. (Traditional vehicle-carrying rail cars have either two or three decks and cannot be converted from one to the other.)
-Superior security due to the removal of ladder access to the rail car roof and upper decks. The ladder is accessible only when end doors are open.
-A new end-door design with ladders that allow for safer, more ergonomic access to the rail car’s interior.
-Increased service quality thanks to a proven durable door edge system, improved tie-down chock systems and upgraded in-transit damage protection.
Union Pacific is very proud of the innovation shown in creating the Autoflex® rail car.  According to a UP official, “Our nearly 150-year existence is due largely to innovations, like the AutoFlex®, that provide value to our customers, keep us competitive, benefit the industry and sustain and grow jobs. Today marks yet another day when Union Pacific employees showed great ingenuity to provide our customers ever-better service. We are very proud of what they achieved,”  The extent of UP’s innovation for this project is reflected with the 15 patents that UP now holds related to the Autoflex® car’s design.  Union Pacific plans to build 100 Autoflex® cars in 2011 and plan to build another 200 by 2012.
Union Pacific’s new convertible rail car will be a useful addition to Union Pacific’s fleet of rail cars.  Its impressive that the rail car was designed and built entirely by Union Pacific employees without any help from third parties.  UP has put millions of dollars into track improvements and other infrastructure projects this year, but improvements to rail cars are just as important in the long run.  By creating the Autoflex® rail car, UP will be able to improve their customer service, along with the quality, efficiency and safety of their automobile shipping.

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