National Gateway Creates Long-Term Environmental Benefits
November 30 2009 - 11:04AM
PR Newswire (US)
WASHINGTON, Nov. 30 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National
Gateway, a multi-state public-private partnership seeking to create
a state-of-the-art freight rail route between Mid-Atlantic ports
and Midwestern markets, is poised to create significant
environmental benefits including lower emissions and reduced fuel
consumption. By clearing existing rail routes for double-stack
freight trains, the National Gateway will convert over 14 billion
highway miles to rail and enable shippers to better utilize the
environmental advantages of rail transportation, reducing CO2
emissions by almost 20 million tons and fuel consumption by nearly
2 billion gallons. "The National Gateway project will build upon
our success over the past five years in converting our eastbound
freight from Asia from a partial trucking to an all-rail network
from the west coast port regions - an effort that contributed to
our winning EPA Smartway Awards in 2007 and again in 2009," said
John Joseph, senior manager of international transportation for
Limited Brands. "We are excited about the increase in supply chain
speed, contribution to our environmental stewardship program, and
of course the greatly needed new jobs the National Gateway project
will create in Ohio." The National Gateway will invest over $840
million to increase tunnel clearances, raise bridges and develop
new intermodal terminals along existing rail corridors to support
the movement of double-stacked rail containers. These
infrastructure investments will support the increased use of
freight rail, the most environmentally friendly way to move goods
on land. Trains can move a ton of freight more than 436 miles on a
single gallon of fuel, making rail transportation three times more
fuel-efficient than alternatives. In addition to infrastructure
upgrades, all facilities built or expanded to support the National
Gateway will exemplify a commitment to environmental stewardship
and serve as a catalyst for future economic development
opportunities in the surrounding regions. Modern, high-technology
operating methods, such as electric crane systems, will be used
where possible in order to ensure that each facility is safe and
environmentally friendly. To date, the project has received $393
million in funding commitments from freight transportation company
CSX Corporation and its affiliates. Partner states are expected to
fund $191 million, with an additional $258 million requested from
the federal government. In addition to governors and other state
and local officials across six states, more than three dozen
members of Congress, three port authorities, and a large number of
global shippers, ocean carriers, business organizations and
environmental groups have pledged their support for the National
Gateway. To learn more about the National Gateway, visit
http://www.nationalgateway.org/. DATASOURCE: National Gateway
CONTACT: Richard VanOrnum of the National Gateway, +1-617-752-1177
Web Site: http://www.nationalgateway.org/
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