Union Pacific and Dow Chemical unveiled a plan Wednesday focused on improving safety and security during chemical transport.
The agreement calls for personnel from each organization to work together to achieve the eight goals the companies have pledged to achieve within the next 10 years.
Goals outlined include improved community awareness and emergency preparedness along hazardous chemical transportation routes through outreach, education and training, as well as developing improved safety and security measures through surveillance of hazardous chemical shipments using global positional satellite technology.
Both companies will also work together to develop a new rail tank car design for the transport for hazardous chemicals, as well as reducing the shipment of hazardous chemicals by 50 percent, while continuing to meet market demand.
By 2010 both Union Pacific and Dow plan to reduce non-accidental releases of hazard materials to zero, and improve railroad operations safety.
New communications systems are also planned to aid in avoiding rail collisions and reduce dwell time of hazardous chemical shipments in high threat urban areas.