Unit trains are typically used for the transportation of bulk goods. These can be solid substances such as: •
Aggregate •
Coal from
mines to
power stations •
Coke from
coking plants to
steel mills •
Iron ore from mines to
ports or
steel mills •
Ore •
Phosphate from mines to fertilizer plants •
Potash •
Sand (e.g., for
hydraulic fracturing) •
Steel •
Taconite •
Track ballast or
gravel Bulk liquids are transported in unit trains made up of
tank cars, such as: •
Crude oil from oil fields to refineries (can be [] of oil in a unit train of 100 tank cars) •
Ethanol from ethanol plants to motor fuel blending facilities • Molten
sulfur (non-US:sulphur) Food, such as: •
Fruit juice •
Corn •
Mineral oil products from the
refineries to the storage facilities •
Refrigerated food •
Wheat Other examples include: •
Automobiles in
autoracks •
Intermodal containers, generally between a port and a truck depot •
Mail •
Military Equipment (weapons) •
TOFC (Trailer on
flat car) •
Waste (garbage), usually for
recycling, often metals or paper == Benefits ==