These two Georgia-based G&W rail companies aim to adopt battery-electric rail vehicles designed to transport freight, enhancing their capacity to manage an increased volume of containerized business originating from the Port of Savannah. This move not only aims to rejuvenate activity on rural railway lines but also seeks to revitalize inland ports across Georgia. The firms will begin field-testing the innovative tech upon FRA's green light.
Parallel Solutions, a Los Angeles-based innovator founded by a team of ex-SpaceX engineers, has devised a technology that synergizes with existing rail operations and infrastructures. The company introduced a streamlined approach by reimagining traditional large-scale intermodal trains and terminal operation systems. Its autonomous battery-powered railcars operate individually, servicing micro-terminals. These railcars can swiftly transition between loading and unloading, eliminating the usual delay associated with train assembly. The railcars can magnetically couple, allowing up to 50 of them to form a platoon when moving. Their design enables them to maintain safe speeds autonomously, and with their shortened formations, they can quickly detect potential hazards at railroad intersections. This capability allows them to halt at a distance that's a tenth of what conventional US trains require.
