RICA names UP 'railroad of the year'

Union Pacific Railroad has been named Railroad of the Year by the Railway Industrial Clearance Association (RICA).

The Class I received the honor primarily for its creation and implementation of PS Technology (PST) software called iClear, which enables users to quickly validate railroad routes for oversized loads without waiting for someone to manually check clearance, according to a UP press release.

iClear uses automatic 3-D modeling, creating loaded rail-car geometry and rail network information to check for obstructions, select viable routes and produce meet-pass location mapping.

PST is a subsidiary of Union Pacific Corp. iClear is one technology that UP uses to enhance railroad safety and efficiency, company officials said.

RICA is an industry association of railroads, shippers, manufacturers and logistics providers.