Lansdale Warehouse

Deteriorated track condition and rail service to a Southeastern Pennsylvania warehouse and distribution company was threatening the viability of the business.

Just as all modes of transportation saw ever increasing sizes of trucks, ships, and airplanes; the railroads also began increasing the sizes of their railcars including the boxcar, most notably the High Cube Plate F car. Rail freight customers in the “Lansdale Cluster” began to realize in the 1990’s that they were losing supply chain opportunities because no viable route for Plate F cars existed except for the 9-mile Stony Creek Line which was in poor condition, subject to derailments and out-of-service delays. As a result, Plate F cars frequently languished in the Philadelphia Serving Yards.

OnTrackNorthAmerica coordinated a unified message on behalf of the stakeholders, convening a series of productive dialogues with CSX and Norfolk Southern, the Stony Creek line’s co-owners, who had been in dispute over their responsibility for track maintenance.

OTNA facilitated NS and CSX reaching a permanent solution which resulted in CSX taking responsibility for the entire 9 miles and the replacement of several thousand ties, re-ballasting of the railbed, and upgrading of 12 grade crossings. Once again, the Lansdale Cluster rail shippers have reliable daily service.