After a longer-than-expected six-month planning period, five Class Is, iRail.com and GE Global eXchange Services last month launched RailMarketplace.com, designed as an open and independent supply network for railroads worldwide.
While Burlington Northern Santa Fe, Canadian National Railway Co., Canadian Pacific Railway, Norfolk Southern Corp. and Union Pacific Railroad long had been e-marketplace developers and investors, their initial announcement compatriot CSX Transportation did not join the inauguration.
CSX decided to take a step back in its e-business strategy development to enable two new executives — Senior Vice President of E-Business Ken Johnson and SVP-Supply and Services Management Howard Levy — to evaluate RailMarketplace.com and its place in the railroad's online plans.
RailMarketplace.com currently has minimal functionality, but site architects plan to add features soon, including supplier catalogs, a "shopping cart" environment, shipping logistics, payment settlement, electronic requests for proposals, electronic forward and reverse auctions, and a strategic sourcing service option.
— Jeff Stagl, managing editor
Source: The February 2001 issue of Progressive Railroading
