Questions about shipping, service, rates, railcars, or railroad access?

Rail deserves a closer look when the freight moves in repeatable volume, travels a meaningful distance, is dense or bulky, requires reliable equipment capacity, or would benefit from loading and unloading on the customer's schedule. The best answer depends on the commodity, lane, annual volume, truck payload, railcar type, facility, and service requirements.

Provide the commodity or STCC when known, origin, destination, annual tons or truckloads, expected frequency, truck payload, preferred or likely railcar type, loading and unloading method, facility address, current transportation arrangement, and desired startup timing. Early estimates are acceptable; the railroad can help refine the missing information.

No. A transload facility can transfer freight between railcars and trucks, allowing a company to use rail without constructing track at its own plant. For some customers, transload is the long-term solution; for others, it is a practical way to test or begin rail service before developing direct access.

Transloading combines rail and truck transportation. Freight moves by rail for the line-haul portion and is transferred to or from trucks for local delivery or pickup. Depending on the location and commodity, the service may also include storage, weighing, inventory reporting, heating, warehousing, or other handling support.

Rail can support many bulk, packaged, dimensional, and industrial commodities, including agricultural products, feed ingredients, fertilizer, food ingredients, plastics, chemicals, sand, stone, cement, lumber, paper, steel, machinery, and other manufactured goods. The commodity determines the railcar, handling system, route, and regulatory requirements.

There is no single universal answer. Many freight railcars carry several truckload equivalents, but the actual comparison depends on the car's load limit, cubic capacity, tare weight, product density, packaging, route, and the truck's net payload. Use net product weight—not the railcar's gross weight on rail—when making the comparison.

The commodity, density, packaging, contamination risk, loading and unloading equipment, temperature, securement, route clearance, track capacity, and car supply all affect the decision. Final equipment selection should be confirmed with the railroad and equipment provider rather than based only on a generic capacity chart.

Yes. The team can review the actual lane, freight volume, truck payload, railcar requirement, transload or direct-rail options, operating assumptions, and commercial path. A credible comparison should use project-specific data instead of a universal public savings factor.

Contact the railroad with the commodity, origin, destination, estimated annual volume, railcar type, facility, requested service, and timing. Many movements require coordination among the participating railroads so a through rate and workable route can be developed.

Not necessarily. Short-line participation is commonly incorporated into a through rate covering the full route. The final rate depends on the lane, commodity, carriers, equipment, service, and commercial arrangement. LA&L can help coordinate the participating railroads and identify the applicable pricing path.

A through rate covers transportation across the participating railroads from origin to destination under one coordinated pricing arrangement. The originating carrier often develops the quote, but LA&L can help coordinate routes serving LA&L, B&H, WNYP, or Ontario Midland locations.

A public tariff publishes rules, accessorial charges, demurrage, storage, fuel-surcharge provisions, and other conditions. It does not automatically provide the complete line-haul rate for every origin-destination movement. Project-specific transportation rates may be published, quoted on a spot basis, or covered by a confidential contract.

Yes. The Tariff Information page provides the current governing public tariff, archived editions, fuel-surcharge publications, common-charge summaries, and the live fuel-surcharge table for participating LA&L-family railroads.

The applicable mileage-based or percentage-based fuel-surcharge method depends on the governing rate, contract, tariff, or transportation arrangement. Current published values and the controlling fuel-surcharge tariffs are available on the Tariff Information page.

Demurrage generally applies when railroad-controlled cars remain beyond applicable free time under the governing tariff. Storage may apply to qualifying private equipment or other circumstances. Definitions, free time, exceptions, and charges depend on the controlling tariff and transportation arrangement.

They may be. A one-time movement can require a spot quote, route review, equipment availability, loading and securement review, and concurrence from connecting carriers. Contact the railroad before making equipment or shipping commitments.

Authorized customers should use the operating process assigned to their account. RVP or RVP+ can support inventory visibility and requests such as placement, release, holds, turns, weights, and other configured actions. Instructions should be clear, complete, and submitted through the approved channel.

RVP+ provides railcar visibility, inventory, status, and planning information for approved customers. Visibility depends on permissions, available carrier data, the movement, and the account configuration. The customer-service team can also help interpret movement information.

Approved customers can receive access without a separate customer subscription fee from LA&L. Individual accounts, permissions, setup, and available features still apply. Each user should have separate credentials and should not share a login.

Depending on the account, RVP+ can provide dashboard and inventory views, inbound and on-hand visibility, service requests, waybill information, charge information, planning tools, forecasting, and broader pipeline insights. Functions and fields vary by user, railroad, carrier data, and configuration.

Service frequency and operating windows depend on the railroad, location, traffic level, facility configuration, train plan, crew and locomotive availability, interchange flow, weather, track access, and safety. The commercial and operating teams will define the practical service plan for the specific customer.

Transit estimates can be developed, but rail movements involve multiple operating conditions and often multiple carriers. Weather, congestion, interchange, equipment, inspections, embargoes, and other events can affect timing. An estimate or ETA should not be treated as an unconditional guarantee unless the governing agreement specifically provides one.

The answer varies by commodity, lane, carrier, and commercial arrangement. Equipment may be railroad-supplied, privately owned, leased, or supplied by the shipper, receiver, vendor, or another party. Car type, condition, cleaning, cycle, availability, and responsibility should be resolved before startup.

Storage may be available depending on railroad, location, equipment type, hazard status, duration, timing, operating conditions, and capacity. Contact the railroad before routing cars for storage or relying on a particular number of spaces.

Use the Properties & Transload Locations map to compare facilities and development sites across the railroad family. The business-development team can then narrow the options based on the commodity, railcar type, origin, destination, annual volume, truck radius, utilities, storage, timing, and long-term plans.

Yes. LA&L can help evaluate rail access, operating fit, interchanges, freight markets, site readiness, truck connectivity, utilities, property considerations, development partners, and the practical path from concept to service.

Yes. Early coordination can help define the connection point, turnout, track length, curvature, grade, clearances, loading or unloading position, switching plan, construction phasing, maintenance responsibility, and required reviews. Conceptual planning does not replace final engineering or railroad approval.

The railroad can help organize project scope, public benefits, partner roles, infrastructure needs, schedule, and the information commonly required for economic-development or transportation-funding discussions. Program eligibility, timing, match requirements, and awards are controlled by the administering agency.

Yes. Transload can provide a lower-barrier way to evaluate the lane, build volume, and learn the operating requirements before investing in a private siding or rail-served facility. The best path depends on handling cost, truck radius, volume growth, site control, and long-term strategy.

Yes. Railroad property is an active operating environment and is not open to unescorted public access. Visitors, vendors, contractors, photographers, and other third parties must follow the applicable authorization, escort, release, insurance, orientation, and safety requirements.

Requirements can include advance authorization, insurance, orientation, written agreements, railroad protective coverage, right-of-entry documentation, flagging or protection, scheduling, and compliance with railroad safety instructions. Work must not begin until the railroad confirms the required approvals.

Not without advance permission. Railroad tracks, yards, structures, and equipment are not public locations. Public photography should be conducted from a lawful public location without trespassing or interfering with operations. Authorized visits remain subject to railroad approval, escort, and safety rules.

Move to a safe location and call 911 for injury, fire, collision, or immediate danger. At a public crossing, use the blue-and-white Emergency Notification System sign to contact the responsible railroad and provide the U.S. DOT crossing number. Do not use a general website form for an active emergency.

The family includes Livonia, Avon & Lakeville Railroad, B&H Rail, Western New York & Pennsylvania Railroad, and Ontario Midland Railroad. Together they connect customers and communities across portions of New York and Pennsylvania to the broader North American freight-rail network.

The railroad family connects with major Class I partners including CSX and Norfolk Southern at multiple interchanges. The best route and interchange depend on the origin, destination, service, commodity, and participating carriers.

No. LA&L and its affiliated railroads are freight railroads focused on serving customers, industries, transload facilities, and regional economic activity. Railroad equipment and property should never be treated as a public passenger or recreation area.

Current opportunities are posted through the Careers page. Openings, locations, qualifications, and application instructions vary by position and railroad.

Use the Contact page and describe the commodity, customer, location, project, safety question, property issue, or service need. The inquiry can then be directed to business development, sales, customer service, operations, engineering, real estate, safety, or another appropriate contact.