L.B. Foster to supply concrete rail ties for export terminal

CXT Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of L.B. Foster Company, was awarded a contract by West Rail Construction to supply 23,000 concrete rail ties for the unloading system at EGT's Columbia River Grain Terminal. CXT plans to start shipment of ties from its Spokane manufacturing plant to the new Longview, Wash., riverside facility in February 2010.

CXT Concrete Ties will support a high capacity rail unloading system capable of accommodating up to four 110-car trains simultaneously. The terminal will include an additional industrial rail system for unloading barges at the docks of the Columbia River facility. "We are proud to be an important part of the first export terminal built in the U.S. in more than 20 years," said Mark Hammons, national sales manager, L.B. Foster.

The innovative design of CXT Concrete Ties will assure low maintenance and enhanced durability during an extended life cycle. "Concrete ties have a great life cycle cost advantage over wood and steel ties. The savings begin with lower labor expense during installation and the reduced number of concrete ties required to build track," noted Michael Sands, president of West Rail Construction.

EGT is a joint venture of Bunge North America, ITOCHU and STX Pan Ocean. Up to eight million tons of grains, oilseeds and protein meals could begin shipping annually from the Columbia River facility to Asia in the Fall of 2011.