“Intermodalism” is a key word to know when it comes to economic development opportunities in Pennsylvania, according to supporters of the freight railroad industry in the state. In fact, those who hope to promote growth of the rail shipping business now have a new video they can use to show the public and convince companies how it is one way to put the state on the “best track” to achieve economic prosperity. Titled “Pennsylvania Rail Freight: The best track for our future,” the 12-minute piece has been developed by a unit of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation to explain, among other things, the potential benefits of transporting freight via “intermodal” means — using two or more forms of transportation, one of which could be rail. “Railroads offer an efficient and economic way to transport freight over long distances,” said Elizabeth S. Voras, PennDot deputy secretary for Aviation and Rail Freight, who was one of several speakers on hand for a presentation Tuesday at the Four Points by Sheraton Hotel in Hempfield Township. Yesterday’s session was the last in a series of meetings PennDot has held across the state to unveil the video as a marketing tool that can be used by not only railroad operators, but also other business, industry and economic development leaders to promote the rail freight industry. The video points out a number of facts about the state, for example, that it has 65 regional and shortline freight railroads, the most of any state in the United States; and that only four states have more than the 5,600 miles of track that exist in Pennsylvania. The regional and shortline railroads are in addition to three Class I rail carriers — the Canadian Pacific, CSX Transportation and Norfolk Southern — that serve the state. In all, these 68 railroads move more than 120 million tons of cargo in and out of Pennsylvania each year. As far as “intermodalism” is concerned, transporting cargo in containers or trailers by two or more modes of transportation can be both “efficient” and “economical,” because goods do not have to be unloaded and reloaded when they are transferred from one form of transportation to another. Containers or whole truckloads of goods or materials fresh from a highway journey can be hoisted aboard a freight car for transport to another destination. “It combines the door-to-door convenience of truck service with the long-distance economy of rail freight service,” marketing materials say. That translates into lower shipping costs, lower prices for consumers and jobs at companies that locate here to take advantage of the service, officials said. “You are the best salesmen for your industry,” Voras said in explaining to regional and shortline railroad officials in attendance how the video and marketing materials can be used. She and other speakers suggested that it might be best to combine the generalized facts shown in the video with localized presentations highlighting potential benefits specific to a region. One such local project is a planned intermodal facility targeted for an abandoned rail yard adjacent to the Sony Technology Center-Pittsburgh in East Huntingdon Township, according to Larry Larese, executive director of the Westmoreland County Industrial Development Corp. On April 30, the WCIDC plans to open bids from contractors seeking to work on construction of the $10 million complex at the site that years ago served the Volkswagen auto assembly plant and is now occupied by Sony’s television assembly operations. The terminal will provide the region with links that can ultimately reach the Atlantic and Pacific oceans and the Gulf of Mexico. “This may well be the only intermodal facility in the country with service from three Class 1 rail carriers as well as a major regional carrier,” Larese said. He said the project should provide a new level of economic benefit on top of that already provided by the county’s past investments in rail lines in the same area. Those investments in rail service have helped attract a number of new companies and continue to serve Sony, which employs 3,000. The new terminal project will include removal of four sets of tracks to accommodate cranes and other equipment needed to move containers between the truck trailers and the flatbed rail cars. In addition, it will involve building two 35,000-square-foot buildings to store materials delivered by rail. One will essentially be a covered area to protect lumber and other materials from rain and snow. The other building will be climate controlled to store food products and other commodities that are more sensitive to the weather. If the bids are within budget, contracts could be awarded by May 9, and the work under way by June. The project might be completed by the end of the year, but more likely would extend until March or April of 2003, Larese said.

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