THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, March 19, 1996 TAG: 9603190378
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: D1 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Business Briefs
LENGTH: Medium: 61 lines
After a decline in intermodal business in 1995, the nation's railroads expect this segment to resume its rise in 1996. Intermodal, the shipment of maritime containers and highway trailers on rail flatcars, has been the growth element of the railroad industry. While shipping volumes of most commodities tend to track the economy, intermodal volume, usually shipments of consumer and retail products, has grown an average of 7 percent a year since 1980, analysts said. Intermodal reached a peak in 1994, growing 14 percent and now represents the second-largest source of revenue for the railroads: 16.3 percent in 1994, according to the Association of American Railroads. (Dow Jones News Service) Tiny Lyon Shipyard wins several contracts
Lyon Shipyard Inc., a small Norfolk ship repairer, announced that it has won several contracts that will keep its 125 workers busy until June. Lyon operates a small yard on the Elizabeth River's Eastern Branch. The contracts include a $361,750 overhaul of an Army tugboat and $194,726 of repairs to a Navy berthing barge. It is also modifying the jack-up barge owned by Interbeton Inc. that is being used to help build the second span of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel. Lyon is doing that work, worth about $500,000, at the yard once owned by the now defunct Jonathan Corp. (Staff) Coal industry reports weekly production decline
Domestic coal production fell 2 percent to 21.1 million tons during the week ended March 9 from 21.6 million tons the week before, the U.S. Department of Energy said Monday. The U.S. coal industry produced 19.6 million tons in the same week last year. Wyoming ranked first among the 27 coal-producing states with 5.7 million tons. West Virginia was second with 3.4 million tons and Kentucky was third with 3.1 million tons. Domestic coal production so far this year is 196 million tons, 2 percent behind last year's production at this time. The week's production accounts for bituminous and lignite coal. The week ending March 9 was the latest available. (Associated Press) Delta pilots union ratifies tentative contract accord
Union representatives for Delta Air Lines Inc.'s pilots said they unanimously ratified a four-year tentative contract with the airline, bringing both sides a step closer to ending a bitter two-year dispute. Delta pilots, the airline's largest unionized group, will vote by the end of April on the contract. A majority of Delta's 8,600 pilots is needed for the contract to become final. The agreement, which averted a possible strike, would pave the way for Delta to launch its low-cost, no-frills airline called Sunshine to compete with ValuJet Airlines, Southwest Airlines and other no-frills carriers. (Bloomberg Business News) by CNB