(The following story by John D. Boyd appeared on The Journal of Commerce website on October 2, 2009.)
WASHINGTON, D.C. CSX Transportation launched intermodal train service between Buffalo, N.Y., and the seaports of New York City and Philadelphia, in a bid to win more container business from the East Coast to the Canadian border and beyond.
The railroad said it is operating second-day container service to Buffalo from the Elizabeth Marine Terminal at the Port of New York and New Jersey and third-day arrival on the return to EMT.
Its Buffalo-Philadelphia trains will offer third-day service south-bound and fourth-day on the northbound route.
It is part of CSXs plan to garner more traffic between those big East Coast ports and Canadas large commercial center of Toronto, just across the border from Buffalo.
The service is using the Buffalo Intermodal Container Transfer Facility that CSX opened last year, with the help of the New York Department of Transportation and Erie County, to build its presence in the Buffalo and Toronto markets. From that rail yard, containers can be hauled by truck to and from Toronto.
The carrier said shippers using its service into New York will also qualify for that port authoritys incentives of $25 per container of new business.
