b'16American Journal ofTransportation ajot.com(STRIDEScontinued from(OPENcontinued from Port of Los Angeles sees UP-NS mergerpage 12) page 15)process and once thats donewhat is called the Iron Springs as seamless transit to East Coastwell start to see some regularProject Area, Building Zone commercial business comingIndustriesanditsaffiliate, By Stas Margaronis, AJOTin. Theres certainly a lot ofRailSync, is delivering rail-interest around Project Cargo. carsofsteelandlumberto TheproposedUnionPacific/Norfolkcies: So, there is time, expense and necessaryWerealsomonitoringlocal companies.With seven Southern rail merger could provide the Portadministrative work with the two companiesPresident Trumps tariffs poli- railcarsofsteelmovingon of Los Angeles with seamless transit by railcombined,thoseefficienciescanbegainedcies and working closely withtheUnionPacificRailroad, from Los Angeles to New York and other Eastand the impacts of the handoffs lessenedour commercial customers toitistheequivalentof30 Coast cities, according to Eugene Seroka,The combined railroad will have more assetsseewhatitmeansforthemtruckloads of steel, a savings Executive Director, Port of Los Angeles. that it can move through its network to attackandwhethertheyneedtoofabout$75,000intrucks In an interview withAJOT, Seroka saidbottlenecksorimproveefficiencies,handlerepositiontheirmanufactur- thatdidnothavetocome that the proposed merger would provide Portvolume spikes that they didnt have before. ing processes. from a transloading center in customers with direct rail service to the EastThen there is the human resource benefit:SaltLakeCityorPhoenix, Coastthathadnotbeenpossiblebefore:IAnd then from a human resources standpoint,e uropeanp ush on says Hart.think it gives us access to the most populousIthinktheinstitutionalknowledgebetweend efenses pending Infact,HartsaysCom-thirdofthenationthathasotherwisebeenbothcompanieswillheightenthelevelofInconclusion,hastheremerce Crossroads, a new 820-stitched together through handoffs. capability, career pathing, and service offeredever been a better time to haveacresustainableindustrial Serokasaidtheproposedmergerwillto the customer. a direct presence in Europe toparkandtransportationhub makethePortmorecompetitivewithEastHowever, there are regulatory issues thatserve military logistics sector? built in the northwest corner Coast ports: Yes, well be more competitiveneed to be addressed before the merger is final.Following criticism fromof the state also in partnership to get cargo to the Eastern seaboard of the USOne concern is that the merged railroad couldPresident Trump for not con- with UIPA, was the first rural for a number of reasons. Number one, youllraise prices thanks to less competition: Theretributingenoughfinanciallyinland port in Utah.haveonecompanythatcarriesyourcargoare regulatory hurdles that must be approachedto NATO, European membersThe momentum is grow-from LA to New York to Pittsburgh, Philadel- here in the weeks and months ahead. And to theof the Alliance have reacteding.SavageCompaniesof phia, Norfolk, Baltimore, et cetera, all the waydetractors who have said it will lead to poorerbypledgingtomorethanSaltLakeCity,a77-year-down the Eastern seaboard. service and higher rates, those two areas willdouble spending on Defenseoldsupplychainandinfra-Today,thatcargogetshandedoffinabsolutely need to be addressed too, at the mostby2035,theequivalentofstructuresolutionsprovider, Northern Chicagofrom the UP to an Eastsenior level of the companies. 5% of GDP. isbuildinga74-acrerail-Coast railroad. Seroka agreed that the issue of pricing needsIncreasedinvestmentonportandterminalnearrural Serokaargues,So,wehavegotgrowthto be addressed: I think it absolutely has to bethis level would transform theCedarCity,Utah,topro-opportunitiesandthediscretionarycargoaddressed becauseit should be a concern ofarmaments industry in Europevidetransloadingservices that amounts to about a third of all the businessall with the companies and they must sit downwith production output soaring. for agricultural products and we do has an easy way toget to the Midwest- and talk about these areas to make sure that anyGermanysRheinmetall,constructionmaterials.The ern locations. And now, opening up that Easterntype of merger and the approvals necessary meetEuropes biggest ammunitionventure will include an office Seaboard to us makes a more compelling argu- the commercial requirements of their customers. maker, is reported to be plan- building,transloadequip-ment for the Port of Los Angeles to grow itsning to boost its workforce byment and four rail spurs off discretionary market of intermodal rail. t ransportw orkerso pposeM erger almost 30%. the Union Pacifics mainline The new merged railroad will need to makeOneindicatorofoppositiontotherailIfconfirmed,thesurgethat can hold a total of 100 surethoseconnectionsbecomemoreseam- mergercamefromTheTransportWorkersin spending would obviouslyrailcars.less as the integration happens, whether its inUnionofAmericawhosaidtheystronglybeaverypositiveenviron- Meanwhile, UIPA is look-North Chicago or West Cleveland, et cetera, andopposetheplannedmergerbetweenUnionmentinwhichtooperate,Iingnorthandfiguresship-making sure that they have the ability to transferPacific and Norfolk Southern and urges fed- think the NSPA is bracing forpers importing through Pacific that cargo across what used to be two companieseralregulators,lawmakers,shippers,andapotentialchangeinarma- Northwestmarineportsare and running it through one company. And I knowunions to block the deal. mentsourcing.Rightnow,prime prospects to benefit from the experts are working on that right now. On July 29 th , TWU International President John(STRIDEScontinued onUtahsgrowingnetworkof In addition, there will be greater efficien- (MERGERcontinued on page 18) page 27) rural inland intermodal ports. ITS YOUR MOVE.www.tideworks.com +1.206.382.4470'