Nov 16, 2007 8:34 AM

Photos courtesy of Union Pacific.

Thanksgiving meal preparations are beginning, and Union Pacific is helping to transport turkeys, corn, yams, and other seasonal food items nationwide.

Over the past two years, Union Pacific’s 64-foot refrigerated railcars delivered nearly 90 railcar loads of turkey. This is equivalent to 324 over-the-road truckloads or 1.2 million turkeys. In addition, the railroad delivered hundreds of railcar loads of corn, potatoes, onions, beans, peas, rice, wheat, grain, and baking ingredients for pies and cakes.

"People often are surprised to learn that the Union Pacific trains they see passing through their local communities are delivering the food items that make up one of the biggest and most memorable meals of the year," said Jack Koraleski, executive vice-president–marketing.

Since the first patented refrigerated car was built in 1867, rail service has evolved to efficiently transport fresh fruits, vegetables, dairy products, and meat cross-country. Union Pacific handles more than 48,000 car loads of refrigerated and frozen products each year and has a fleet of nearly 5,000 refrigerated railcars.

Union Pacific works with eastern railroads to offer seamless service between the West and East coasts. The company has a network to run a refrigerated railcar fleet carrying fresh and frozen products from agricultural areas of Northern California and the Pacific Northwest to points east, returning with meat and poultry products for export through West Coast ports.

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