The railcars in a unit train all carry the same commodity, originate from the same location and travel to the same destination. High-volume bulk materials such as coal, coke, iron ore and aggregates are typically transported this way, as well as bulk liquids like ethanol, crude oil and condensate. All the railcars tend to be nearly identical, inside and out. Unit trains save time and money for a railroad, and eliminates any delays and confusion associated with assembling and disassembling the trains at railyards at both ends of the operation. This type of service enables railroads to more effectively compete with truck transportation and river barges.
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Locomotives are a common means of moving railcars and strings of cars, but that action does not make them rail car movers. Ports, power plants and industrial facilities share the logistics of locomotive use to break trains into strings, transfer strings to the loading or unloading facility, position individual cars for loading or unloading, re-assemble trains and perform other rail duties at a particular facility. However, more manpower is needed, and safety is always a major concern. Line of sight is never optimal, so any train movement could result in injury or worse.
