UP: COVID-19 Railroad Resources

COVID-19 Railroad Resources

Six sources for reliable rail information during the coronavirus pandemic

Stay informed during the COVID-19 pandemic with these reliable railroad resources.

Even though the COVID-19 pandemic has changed many things, it hasn’t changed the fact that companies and communities rely on their supply chains.

If you (or your customers or suppliers) rely on rail, rest assured railroads are maintaining operations and keeping goods flowing. Even so, during this time, staying informed is important. If you’d like to learn more about the status of the railroad during this time, the following resources can help keep you informed.

Association of American Railroads

https://www.aar.org/covid-19

The Association of American Railroads “Railroads and COVID-19 Response” page details how railroads are keeping workers safe and critical goods moving. Additional information includes:

Keeping Railroad Workers Safe Fact Sheet
Railroad Workers Keep Critical Goods Moving Fact Sheet
A list of government and railroad-specific resources

American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association

https://aslrra.org/web/COVID-19/web/Safety/Communicable_Disease/Copy_of_Communicable_Disease_Landing.aspx

The American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association has a COVID-19 Updates page dedicated to providing the latest COVID-19 information relevant to its short line railroad members. Resources on the page include:

The Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)

https://www.cisa.gov/transportation-systems-sector

The Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is the agency that deemed railroad workers "Essential Critical Infrastructure Workers.” This means that even during shelter in place orders, railroad employees are able to do the important work for which they are responsible. The CISA also has a Transportation Systems Sector page with a section devoted to freight rail.

U.S. Department of Transportation

https://www.transportation.gov/coronavirus

The U.S. Department of Transportation Coronavirus Resources page provides a summary of the actions each of its agencies (including the Federal Railroad Administration) is taking in response to COVID-19.

Union Pacific Railroad

https://www.up.com/customers/pandemic/index.htm

Union Pacific Railroad offers a Coronavirus (COVID-19) Information for Union Pacific Customers page, a central repository for the information customers need during the pandemic. This includes:

Rail network status updates
Links to commercial updates
Instructions for activating notifications
Quick links to contact Union Pacific

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/organizations/businesses-employers.html

While not specifically railroad related, businesses may also want to visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Resources for Businesses and Employers page, which provides:

Learn More

Railroads are playing a critical role during the COVID-19 pandemic. If you have any questions about how the railroad keeps supply chains running even in times of crisis, get in touch.

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Upcoming Webinar - Nearshoring: Best Practices for Shipping to and from Mexico

On Thursday, May 16 at 1:00 p.m. CT, Union Pacific is hosting a 1-hour webinar on nearshoring, a business strategy that involves companies shifting manufacturing and production operations to Mexico, closer to main markets in the U.S. If this is something you’re interested in, you can use this link to register.

How to Ship Sustainable Aviation Fuel

In the next three decades, more than 35 billion gallons of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) will be produced in the United States. It’s part of a government program, called the Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Grand Challenge, that is designed to help airlines decarbonize. The rise of renewable fuels, including SAF, makes it critical for producers and receivers to have a supply chain in place to meet upcoming fuel demand.

The Rise of Sustainable Aviation Fuel

In 2022, the U.S. government shared the Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Grand Challenge. This government-wide approach works within the industry to reduce costs, enhance sustainability, and expand production to 3 billion gallons per year of domestic SAF. By 2030, the U.S. must achieve a minimum of a 50% reduction in life cycle greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) compared to conventional fuel. By 2050, 35 billion gallons of annual SAF production must be reached.

What Is Nearshoring and How Does Transportation Support It?

In the 1990s, offshoring became a trend among U.S. companies. With more affordable labor available abroad (primarily in China), some entities relocated factories to lower production costs and increase profits. Offshoring relies on shipping those products back overseas for sale in the United States.

For decades, this model was working. Then came the pandemic, and the resulting supply chain disruptions (especially for overseas shipments) began to poke holes in offshoring strategies. With products stuck overseas sometimes for months on end, the drawbacks of offshoring started to outweigh the benefits.

Lessons learned from the last few years have prompted some companies to bring operations back to North America, specifically to Mexico. Establishing production facilities closer to end markets minimizes the impacts of potential supply chain disruptions while keeping costs in check. This is the genesis of the nearshoring trend.