CP Rail will be making many of its trains longer than ever before beginning in 2012.
As part of CP’s previously announced 2011 capital expansion program, the company’s installation of new and extended sidings in several key regions will allow CP to further benefit from increases in train lengths. One of these extended sidings is in Salmon Arm.
By the end of 2013, the railway is targeting an 11 per cent increase in transcontinental train lengths by adding growing volumes into existing trains. CP currently operates intermodal trains up to 12,000 feet long, an increase of 40 per cent since 2008. The company says the benefits of long trains include reduced fuel consumption, capital maintenance and labour savings, and improved safety and efficiency.
“Long trains are the cornerstone of CP’s operating strategy,” said CP EVP Operations Mike Franczak in a press release. “By increasing train lengths and realizing strategic long siding investments, CP is maximizing productivity and service, while reducing labour costs and increasing fuel efficiency”
Upgrades in the western end of CP’s network are also enabling potash trains to increase by 20 per cent and coal trains to increase by 18 per cent.