advertisement

---

More and more railroads are applying the alliance approach to broaden their market reach — and not solely Class Is. Kansas City Southern Railway and I&M Rail Link (IMRL) Aug. 15 announced a joint run-through grain service designed to provide faster Shreveport, La.-to-Davenport, Iowa trains — enhancing the railroads' previous grain-traffic co-marketing pact.

KCS and IMRL plan to add manifest traffic to existing grain trains and bypass Kansas City, Mo., saving 48 hours in transit time. Under terms of their previous agreement, the Class I and 1,385-mile regional currently share Knoche Yard in Kansas City.

The railroads began the service — aimed at grain feed mill customers — in late July, running one train in each direction daily.

Northbound trains leaving Shreveport pick up traffic at DeQueen and Ashdown, Ark., before heading non-stop to Davenport.

"Rapid run through ensures improved transit times and provides a more cost-efficient option for customers than over-the-road between the two markets," said Gerald Davies, KCS executive vice president and chief operating officer, in a prepared statement.