U.S. Steel, Norfolk, Greenbrier Design New Steel Gondola Railcar To Boost Railroads Performance

(RTTNews) - Three American industrial and transportation companies - United States Steel Corporation (X), Norfolk Southern Corporation (NSC), and The Greenbrier Companies, Inc. (GBX), on Thursday, jointly announced a newly designed, more sustainable steel gondola railcar.

The proposed high-strength steel gondola aims to further improve this performance for railroads, the companies said in a statement.

With the lighter-weight steel developed by the U. S. Steel, each gondola's unloaded weight is reduced by up to 15,000 pounds. Gondola railcars transport loose bulk material such as metal scraps, coils, wood chips, steel slabs, and ore.

Norfolk Southern will initially acquire 800 of the Greenbrier engineered gondolas, the companies added.

James Squires, chairman and CEO of Norfolk Southern said, the advancements made by the three companies can be applied to other car types, ensuring the sustainable innovation continues well into the future.

In addition, the companies have plans to recycle the previous models, once these new gondolas move into service.