CPR adds remote-control locomotives to intermodal service

CALGARY (Jan. 5, 2004) — Canadian Pacific Railway introduced intermodal freight trains with mid-train remote-control locomotives last month, the first railway in Canada to do so.

Mimicking the control inputs of engineers in leading locomotives, the remote-control units enable CPR to run intermodal trains approaching three kilometers in length through the winter when they were previously shortened because of air-pressure loss in colder temperatures.

Since 1995 all new main-line locomotives ordered by CPR have been equipped to operate in leading or remote-control configuration.

CPR said remote-control locomotives are a cornerstone of a campaign to completely transform its intermodal service, which moves consumer goods in containers and truck trailers on rail cars. The railway is also reconstituting its intermodal fleet, putting in service 5,500 new cars that can carry double-stacked containers.

With the new cars, CPR will have a standardized fleet capable of handling any size of container in any load configuration, and will do away with older cars that are less flexible.

CPR said the net result will be an estimated 28-per-cent increase in containers per train and 16-per-cent decrease in intermodal train starts, creating railway network capacity for more traffic. The railway expects to reduce its overall intermodal rail car fleet by about 1,300 cars without losing capacity, while lowering train-crew costs. Service reliability is expected to improve, especially during the more challenging winter period.

About 2,000 of the new intermodal cars are now in service. The remainder will arrive later this year.

CPR pioneered the use of remote-control locomotive technology in its western-Canada coal trains in the 1970s, making it possible to safely operate trains through the mountains at lengths previously thought impossible. The advent of high-capacity trains was a key development in helping Canada’s coal industry overcome its competitive disadvantage of being located a long way from ocean shipping ports. CPR is now adapting the same concept to the intermodal market.

The design of CPR’s new, high-power alternating current locomotives allows them to be placed at the head-end and anywhere else in the train. During train operations, the controls of locomotives at each position are linked through data telemetry, giving the head-end crew full command at all times.

Placing a locomotive in a remote-control position distributes tractive effort and produces performance benefits not unlike those of all-wheel drive in a highway passenger vehicle. It also boosts air pressure to ensure sufficient braking power along the entire length of the train in freezing temperatures.