Rio Grande, WestRock ink industrial rail services pact

Rio Grande Pacific Corp. (RGPC) yesterday announced a new shipper agreement with WestRock for industrial rail services.

WestRock is a papermaking and packaging supply and design company known for partnership development and "continually upping their operations game through innovative technology," RGPC officials said in a press release.

RGPC's technology division recently announced a short-line industrial visualization logistics service aimed at improving shipper transparency technology, reducing carbon footprints and improving end-user results.

"Rio Grande Pacific currently provides operations analytics to short line railroads and commuter railways. We’re excited to bring our [railway Internet of Things] services to the industrial rail switching market," said Jason Brown, RGPC's RIoTECH chief information officer. "We are looking forward to teaming up with WestRock and other shippers to meet the demands of a growing rail switching and safety market."

Under their agreement, WestRock and RGPC will formalize and implement services starting Oct. 31.