Ownership has its benefits – and all Class 1 Railroads are joint owners of the Belt Railway Company of Chicago (BRC). As a partner in sustainability for Class 1 Railroads, TiEnergy can help railroads maximize their ownership benefits, streamline operations, and meet both financial and environmental goals. How? Here are seven facts about the BRC and the benefits to railroads.
Fact 1: The BRC is one of the busiest switching terminals in the country, handling over 8,000 railcars a day. Since all Class 1 railways are already passing through this yard every day, they can take advantage of their existing transportation patterns to dispose of expired rail ties.
Fact 2: About 20 million ties expire each year, and managing this volume of out-of-service ties can be burdensome for railroads. Mountains of old ties create safety hazards which railroads can be held accountable for, especially in the worst-case scenario of a fire. A reliable approach to removing ties each year can alleviate potential issues and make it easier to systematically dispose of ties year after year.
Fact 3: Removing railroad ties is only the first step – railroads are also scrutinized for the method they use to dispose of the ties. Responsibly recycling not only makes better fiscal sense, but it can also help railroads meet sustainability goals and maintain a positive brand image.
Fact 4: TiEnergy takes expired ties, efficiently grinds them up via patented technology, and uses them as a feedstock for a landfill product called TIEROC. An alternative to rock and stone, TIEROC is used as a more efficient road base in landfills. Each tie recycled in this process saves 3.06 pounds of CO2, and if every one of the 20 million expired ties per year went through this process, it would prevent 61,200,000 pounds of CO2 from being released into the atmosphere annually!
Fact 5: Since Class 1 Railroads are part owners of the BRC, they can ship their expired ties through the yard. This means there are no separate trips or additional logistics needed to remove out-of-service ties. There is also no need to utilize trucks to load and ship the ties – railroads can simply use the railcars that are already passing through the BRC.
Fact 6: Once the ties are brought to the BRC, they can be handed off to TiEnergy on site. TiEnergy then recycles them for beneficial downstream use, without any added effort on the railroads’ part. This process streamlines operations and allows railroads to better utilize their resources.
Fact 7: All railroads have access to the BRC facility and can bring their expired ties to the yard. Moving ties through the BRC is more cost effective than trucking, safer than storing old ties offsite, and more convenient than other disposal methods.
The BRC is service-oriented and accommodating to railroads and related businesses, and TiEnergy can help railroads make the most of BRC opportunities. For more information, contact Greg at Greg.Kutschke@tienergy-usa.com.
