Western Railroad Discussion > Intermodal Newz

Besides the recent cutbacks in intermodal service along the I-5 Corridor, the UP has recently made some cuts in PNW/Chicago service as well, with the ZPDCS/ZSEG2 symbols no longer running. This leaves the UP's ZKCPD as the only regularly scheduled train handling expedited/LTL business into the Pacific Northwest; there is no e/b counterpart to the ZKCPD. UP abolished the w/b ZCSPD trains about 4 years ago. I don't know if this is a move related to the earlier downgrading of UP's I-5 intermodal service, or if it's related to the BNSF grabbing most of the lucrative LTL business running in that corridor. There is now an IPDG3 train running which handles double stack business out of Portland to the Chicago area. I still can't figure out why UP has so much trouble running an expedited Seattle-Portland/Chicago Z train schedule.

The BN got out of the PNW/KC-Houston intermodal market about 10 years ago, which basically gave the UP the business, at least out of Kansas City; the UP has done quite well with the ZKCPDs, sometimes running several sections of that train during busier times of the year. Guess the PNW/Texas intermodal market is still not a doable goal for either railroad these days.

This leaves the UP in the PNW as basically a container-oriented (double stack) railroad, as that is what the ZPDCS/ZSEG2 trains were fast becoming in recent months. Hopefully when UP gets things running smoothly again, we will see a renewed effort to get some kind of expedited/premium service going again between the PNW and the Chicago. Hard to believe this is the same UP that once had the ultra-hot CSSEZ/NPSEZ trains running west, along with the PDCSZ/SENPZ trains eastbound just a few short years ago. UP still runs various double stack trains in/out of Seattle, including several for APL.

The plan along UP's I-5 Corridor now comes down to the ZLCBR running north most days of the week, plus the KLCSE running 4-5 days a week; southbound the only intermodal train (aside from the baretables) running is the KBRLC, which runs 4-5 days a week. Don't know if the IOASE trains are still running out of Oakland or not.The ZSELC symbol was one of the casualties of the UP's cutbacks on the I-5 route.

Another UP train that has seemingly disappeared as of late is the IOAHO symbol (Oakland/Houston); this train used to run 5-6 days a week but now rarely runs more than once or twice. That train was even rerouted via the Overland Route for several days in September. Don't know what has happened with the business on that train, as UP (SP) has long had large amounts of intermodal business running between those 2 terminals.

BNSF seems to be kicking the stack trains out of Oakland at a fast clip these days as there were 3 of them on the lineup out of there on Wednesday, including a QOIGCHI3/06, a QOIGALT3/06 and an SOIGCHI3/05. The BNSF has also been running a PRICLAC (Richmond/LA) train as of late, but don't know anything on that train as far as which businesses are running traffic on it. Sounds like the BNSF is really going after the double stack business in/out of Oakland these days, which is surprising considering most folks thought the UP would have the upper hand as far as Oakland import container business was concerned.

Funny how the SP used to always be the railroad handling more containers than any other western line, with the UP inheriting that title after the merger - bet that isn't the case any longer! Should be a fairly close race these days between the UP and BNSF for total containers handled - anybody have the numbers on that one?

I saw a PRICLAC at Woodford two weeks ago. It had UPS trailers up front and empty trailers for the rest of the train.

Adam

Boomer wrote
>>>Don't know if the IOASE trains are still running out of Oakland or not.The ZSELC symbol was one of the casualties of the UP's cutbacks on the I-5 route<<<

There's no piggyback trains that run through Davis. There's a few singlestack container trains, though (or with 40' doublestacks). I'm curious as to where they're coming from and going to--could be Oakland-Seattle, I guess...

Ted in Davis

SuperC Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I saw a PRICLAC at Woodford two weeks ago. It had
> UPS trailers up front and empty trailers for the
> rest of the train.
>
> Adam


So it sounds like a revival (of sorts) of the old ATSF 998 symbol from the '80s. I'll have to check and see if there's a n/b counterpart currently running.

Check your email boomer.

AaronJ