rail

Port of New Orleans, UTC Transoceanic Partner to Accelerate Oversized Cargo Rail Planning

The Port of New Orleans and the New Orleans Public Belt Railroad announced a partnership with UTC Transoceanic on May 28 to streamline planning for oversized industrial equipment shipments through America's rail network. Port NOLA serves as a major gateway for heavy-lift and project cargo, with direct access to all six Class I railroads via NOPB. Planning these moves typically requires weeks or months of engineering reviews covering bridge clearances, tunnel restrictions, track geometry and routing limitations across multiple railroad systems. UTC Transoceanic, a joint venture between New Orleans-based Transoceanic and Houston-based UTC Overseas, is deploying patented AI-powered rail clearance technology using the Palantir Foundry platform. The new customer-facing application, TEID-RDC, enables shippers to input cargo dimensions, weight and railcar specifications to quickly determine route feasibility. The technology dramatically reduces planning timelines, providing customers near-immediate answers on whether proposed moves are possible.