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Saturday, Aug. 1, 1998
Area shippers: Union Pacific has improved
Service is better, but companies say more progress needed to reach previous levels
By GLASTON FORD
Staff WriterRail shippers in the Coastal Bend say Union Pacific Railroad's service has improved since the height of the railroad's service troubles.
Service is better and more stable, but it has not reached the level that Reynolds Metals would like to see, said Frank Newchurch, plant manager of the Reynolds Metals Sherwin Alumina plant near Gregory.
In the past, Reynolds has had to use trucks to supplement its rail shipments of lime from the Austin area, but that stopped in April, Newchurch has said.
Rail service has improved significantly since April for Elementis Chromium, formerly American Chrome and Chemicals, said George Kapusta, transportation coordinator for Elementis.
The company shipped 35 rail cars in July, the most it has since April 1997, he said. During the worst months of rail service - August, September and October of last year - Elementis was shipping fewer than 20 cars a month, he said.
``I think (Union Pacific) has turned a corner,'' he said. ``They have hired new people and done some computer updates. To me it looks like things are just starting to come together.''
Rail service is better than it was three or six months ago, but it is not back up to where it was when Southern Pacific was operating, said Rich Bailey, distribution manager for DuPont, which operates a plant in Ingleside that makes fluorocarbons for refrigerants and commercial and residential air-conditioning units.
DuPont ships about 160 rail cars a month, about 95 percent of its products, from Ingleside, he said.
Shipments of hydrogen chloride to Kentucky, for example, are taking an average 10 days now, whereas in the past they were taking 15 days or more, he said.
The Port of Corpus Christi has noticed improved service, said Jerry Cotter, the port's director of operations. The port still has had some delays, such as a shipment of grain that was due to arrive on Saturday, July 25, and did not make it until the following Tuesday, he said. But the delays are not as frequent as they used to be.
Staff writer Glaston Ford can be reached at 886-3678 or by e-mail at fordg@scripps.comPost your comments about local news eventsFront Page || Main Index || News || Business || Texas || South Texas Outdoors || Birdwatching || Sports || Entertainment || Selena || Education || South Texas Attractions || World Wide Web