Riding the Rails

By Staff -- Logistics Management, 11/1/1998

As highway congestion increases, more and more shippers are looking at rail and intermodal services as a competitively priced, efficient alternative. To help draw new customers and better serve existing ones, rail and intermodal companies are adding new services, increasing the amount of equipment, offering new software, and providing new and updated reference materials. Below is a sampling of some of the newest equipment and services available today.

Railroad Information Services, a division of DeskMap Systems Inc., has introduced the Professional Railroad Atlas of North America. According to the publisher, this atlas is the only one that shows the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

The Professional Railroad Atlas of North America displays full-color railroad maps, detailed city and metropolitan maps, station names, and reporting marks. All Class I railroads are color coded. More than 40 inset maps were developed to display more detail of key metropolitan areas.

This atlas was specifically designed for the railroad professional and transportation consultant. DeskMap Systems constantly updates its railroad databases; these revisions are reflected in the new atlas.

In addition to the North American atlas, Railroad Information Services has created the new Mexican Railway Map to reflect all the recent acquisitions and privatization of railroads in Mexico. The 36-inch by 48-inch color map also displays connections in the United States and Central America. Each rail line is color coded to reflect ownership.

State boundaries and names of several thousand cities and communities are indexed for easy location. Ports served by rail and cities with intermodal hubs are designated.

The map is shipped rolled for mounting; however, DeskMap Systems will laminate the map if requested.