Dana Transport, one of the largest tank truck operators in the country, and the Union Pacific railroad company recently opened a rail transload facility at a rail yard in Kansas City in a “win-win” for both, the companies reported.
The new transload site was “revitalized and developed” by Dana to serve a critical Midwest transportation sector as a key distribution hub for plastic pellets arriving from the Texas Gulf Coast by rail for truck transport to area manufacturers.
“We’re very proud of this project, which returned an unused railyard back to productivity, while providing a new transportation solution for our plastic customers and growth opportunity for Dana Transport and Union Pacific,” said Todd Hackel, Union Pacific manager for network and industrial development.
Hackel and other railroad representatives recently attended a grand opening, marking the culmination of a multi-year project that commenced in 2020.
“We saw the land before the Pandemic began, and we thought it was big enough to accommodate our plans for growth and our customers’ needs for a transload yard for plastic distribution in the Midwest,” said Dennis Lawless, corporate manager for dry bulk at Dana.
The property’s layout allows for the expansion of more than 100 rail car spots, the companies said.
Plastic-pellet manufacturers in the Gulf Coast will be able to transport products directly on Union Pacific, without the use of another railroad.
“It’s very cost effective for our customers,” Lawless concluded.