U.S. Steel, Norfolk Southern and Greenbrier Partner on New Steel Railcar

railcar
Gondola rendering. (Greenbrier/PR Newswire)

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United States Steel Corp., Norfolk Southern Corp. and The Greenbrier Cos. collaborated to create a new high-strength railcar, the companies announced Dec. 9.

The steel gondola railcars are designed to be lighter weight and more sustainable with an extended life cycle and greater freight capacity. They use a formula for steel developed by U.S. Steel.

Each gondola will have an unloaded weight that is reduced by up to 15,000 pounds.



“The use of lightweight, high-strength steel is a real revolution for railcars,” Norfolk Southern CEO James Squires said. “Not only will each gondola carry more material, they will do so by using less energy, making our operations, and our customer’s operations, even more environmentally friendly.”

Norfolk Southern will initially acquire 800 of the Greenbrier engineered gondolas.

Gondola railcars transport loose bulk material such as metal scraps, coils, wood chips, steel slabs and ore. The companies said the partnership is rooted in the recognition that North America has an aging gondola fleet that will soon require substantial replacement with a more sustainable design.

“The work done by U.S. Steel, Norfolk Southern and Greenbrier promises significant benefits to all three companies and the freight transportation industry as a whole,” Greenbrier CEO William Furman said. “The three partners on this next-generation transportation equipment have deep roots in industrial America. Together, we are leading the way to a net-zero carbon economy. I look forward to our continued partnership.” — Transport Topics

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