McKay TransCold, a logistics company in Edina, has hatched a plan with BNSF Railway Co. to ship eggs and other Midwest products to the West Coast in refrigerated boxcars that will then return with California produce.
The service, known as TransCold Express, is set to launch in April with 50 BNSF refrigerated cars running on lines between California’s Central Valley and the Chicago area.
The trains will carry upward of 200 truckloads of fresh and frozen produce and consumer goods weekly, with one railcar equal to four truckloads, according to the company.
Regional truck carriers will extend distribution about 400 miles from McKay-managed hubs at each end, covering Minneapolis, and much of the Midwest and East and West coasts. Plans call for adding a second 50-car train as soon as possible. The service will accept smaller, or less-than-truckload, shipments, helping small companies get their products to new areas.
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