Contract Switching Operations for Rail-Served Industry
Built Around Your Volume, Commodity & Schedule
Alleanza Rail provides in-plant industrial switching built around your volume, your commodity, and your schedule. Whether you receive a few cars a week or run full unit trains, we have the crews and experience to keep your rail operation moving.
Any Volume
We serve facilities receiving one to five cars at a time, 10 cars, 20 to 30 cars, or 100 or more.
Manifest & Unit Trains
We work mixed manifest traffic and full unit train movements.
Any Commodity
We handle coal, aggregates, paper and pulp, chemicals, grain, and more.
Proven Experience
Our team brings more than 27 years of industrial switching experience at plants across multiple locations.
Lower Demurrage & Car Costs
Timely pulls, spots, and releases reduce demurrage charges and the number of cars you need to lease or hold.
A Complete Switching Operation
Alleanza Rail manages every step of rail movement inside your facility.
Carrier Arrival Coordination
We coordinate with the serving railroad on inbound deliveries so cars are received on time and ready to work.
Inbound Classification
We sort arriving cars by commodity, destination, and priority.
In-Plant Spotting
We place cars at loading and unloading points in the order your production schedule requires.
Outbound Assembly
We build outbound cars into blocks and have them ready for railroad pickup.
Reporting & Documentation
We track car movements and provide the records you need for inventory, billing, and demurrage review.
How We Engage
Alleanza Rail takes full responsibility for your switching operation. We supply the crews, operating procedures, safety management, and performance accountability, so your team can focus on production. Each engagement includes:
- Dedicated, facility-trained crew assignments
- A site-specific operating rule book and safety plan
- Embedded supervision and performance management
- Daily reporting and production coordination
- Carrier interface and schedule management
- A single point of contact for all rail activity
Performance-Based Options
Performance-based compensation structures are available, tying our fees to the results we deliver at your facility.
Industrial Switching FAQ
What is industrial switching?+
Industrial switching is the movement of railcars within a plant or industrial facility. A switching crew pulls empty and loaded cars, spots cars at loading and unloading points, and assembles outbound cars for pickup by the serving railroad. Alleanza Rail provides this service so your plant can focus on production.
How many cars can Alleanza Rail handle?+
We serve facilities of every size. That includes plants receiving one to five cars at a time, 10 cars, 20 to 30 cars, and operations handling 100 or more cars per shipment.
Does Alleanza Rail handle unit trains?+
Yes. We work both full unit trains and mixed manifest traffic, and we plan crews and equipment around your volume and track layout.
What commodities does Alleanza Rail switch?+
We handle all commodities that move through your facility, including coal, aggregates, paper and pulp, chemicals, grain, and more.
What does a complete switching operation include?+
A complete switching operation covers five functions: carrier arrival coordination, inbound classification, in-plant spotting, outbound assembly, and reporting and documentation. Alleanza Rail manages all five so every car inside your facility is received, placed, and released on schedule.
How does Alleanza Rail engage with a facility?+
Alleanza Rail takes full responsibility for your switching operation. We supply dedicated, facility-trained crews, a site-specific operating rule book and safety plan, embedded supervision, daily reporting, and carrier coordination, with a single point of contact for all rail activity. Performance-based compensation structures are available.
How much experience does the Alleanza Rail team have?+
Our team brings more than 27 years of industrial switching experience at plants across multiple locations.
How can industrial switching reduce my rail costs?+
When cars are pulled, spotted, and released on schedule, you avoid unnecessary demurrage charges from the railroad. Faster car turns also mean you need fewer leased or held cars to keep your plant supplied.
Why outsource switching instead of running it in-house?+
Outsourcing removes the cost of owning locomotives, maintaining equipment, and staffing a rail crew. You get an experienced team that runs your rail operation on your schedule, and you pay for the service instead of carrying the overhead.