Rail Logistics & Supply Chain Solutions & Consulting
In today’s complex North American rail landscape, shippers face unprecedented challenges – from Precision Scheduled Railroading implementation to service volatility and capacity constraints. PraxiChain addresses these challenges with a team of senior rail experts averaging 25+ years of operational experience in Class I railroads, major shippers, and rail service providers.
Unlike generalist consultants, our rail practice includes former railroad commercial leaders who’ve negotiated thousands of contracts from both carrier and shipper perspectives. This dual-sided expertise provides our clients insider knowledge of railroad commercial strategies, operations capabilities, and negotiation approaches that deliver quantifiable results.
Transform Your Rail Supply Chain
Where traditional consulting ends with recommendations, PraxiChain’s rail logistics team provides hands-on implementation support, leveraging proprietary analytics tools designed explicitly for rail operations. Our rail veterans have managed operations across every major commodity group and geographic region, enabling us to craft solutions tailored to your specific network challenges.
What sets our rail practice apart is its origins – founded by industry veterans who’ve personally managed multibillion-dollar rail networks, negotiated with every Class I carrier, and implemented transformative rail strategies in challenging environments. This real-world experience translates into practical solutions that address your specific pain points, delivering transformative value through:
“Rail isn’t just another transportation mode—it requires specialized expertise. Our rail-specific approach has delivered over $500M in documented savings through better contracts, improved operations, and optimized networks. We speak the railroads’ language and translate it into your bottom line.”
Industry-Specific Solutions
Rail Supply Chain Assessment & Optimization
Our Solutions Address:
PraxiChain’s comprehensive rail assessments analyze your freight spend, assets, infrastructure, processes, and organizational structure to unlock supply chain potential and cut costs.
Comprehensive Rail Assessments
- End-to-end evaluation of rail operations and infrastructure
- Analysis of freight spend patterns and opportunities
- Asset utilization and fleet optimization
- Process improvement and organizational alignment
Industry Benchmarking
- Market and commodity analysis
- Competitive positioning assessment
- Voice of customer insights
- Best practices implementation across industry segments
Rail Logistics Procurement
Our Solutions Address:
Large-Scale Contract Negotiations
- RFP process design and management
- Business strategy positioning with rail carriers
- Rate analysis and benchmarking across $4B+ in spend
- Service and performance standards development
- Contract terms and conditions optimization
Equipment Utilization
- Railcar fleet optimization and management
- Lease versus buy analysis
- Storage strategy development
- Equipment type selection and specification
- Fleet size optimization models
Rail Infrastructure & Operations
Our Solutions Address:
Logistics Infrastructure Design
- Rail design and engineering solutions
- Operations planning and modeling
- New rail corridor development
- Capital expenditure planning and ROI analysis
- Construction management and implementation support
Rail Operations Assessment
- Switching optimization
- Locomotive/car mover asset optimization
- Yard management technology implementation
- Serving carrier/interchange operations planning
- Health, environment, safety, and security audits
Site Selection & Development
Our Solutions Address:
Site Selection Consulting
- Logistics due diligence
- Operating plan development
- Commercial terms negotiation
- Multi-site comparative analysis
- Incentives negotiation support
Industrial Site Development
- Rail-served property assessment
- Class I railroad approval process management
- Target market identification
- Rail design optimization
- Marketing strategy development for industrial sites
Latest Market Insights
Rail Market Dynamics: Navigating Precision Scheduled Railroading and Supply Chain Resilience
The North American rail sector continues evolving under precision scheduled railroading (PSR) principles, creating challenges and opportunities for shippers. Recent industry data reveals that while service metrics have improved across Class I railroads, with average terminal dwell times decreasing by 18% year over year, many shippers still struggle with first—and last-mile reliability.
Our Rail Transportation Experts
Featured Expert
Karen Burchfield
Project Manager
Expertise
- Supply Chain Design
- Market Analysis
- Logistics Procurement
- Assessment & Optimization
- Due Diligence
Highlights
- Assistant Vice President Industrial Products – BNSF
- Assistant Vice President Coal Marketing – BNSF
- General Superintendent of North Operations – BNSF
- AVP Fleet Operations – BNSF
- Masters Supply Chain Management – Penn State University
Karen Burchfield is a distinguished rail industry leader with 30 years of comprehensive experience in supply chain management and transportation operations. Her proven track record includes leading transformational change initiatives, driving market share growth, optimizing rail operations, and advancing diversity and inclusion across large organizations. She has consistently delivered exceptional results by managing multi-billion-dollar portfolios.
Learn MoreBill Foust
Project Manager
Expertise
- Supply Chain Design
- Market Analysis
- Logistics Procurement
- Assessment & Optimization
- Due Diligence
Jon Gilbert
Project Manager
Expertise
- Supply Chain Design
- Market Analysis
- Logistics Procurement
- Assessment & Optimization
- Due Diligence
Karen Hanks, CPC, CTL
Project Manager
Expertise
- Supply Chain & Logistics
- ESG & Sustainability
- M&A Integration
- Transformation Leadership
- Strategic Planning
Belinda Hess
Senior Consultant
Expertise
- Supply Chain Design
- Logistics Procurement
- Market Analysis
- Customer Service/Experience
- Assessment & Optimization
Eric Johnson
Project Manager
Expertise
- Supply Chain Design
- Logistics Procurement
- Market Analysis
- Assessment & Optimization
- Due Diligence
Julie LaGuardia
Margaret Lopez
Wes Mailhos
Senior Consultant
Expertise
- Supply Chain Design
- Market Analysis
- Logistics Procurement
- Assessment & Optimization
- Due Diligence
James Shefelbine
Principal
Expertise
- Supply Chain Design
- Market Analysis
- Logistics Procurement
- Assessment & Optimization
- Due Diligence
Kelly Shefelbine
Principal
Expertise
- Supply Chain Design
- Market Analysis
- Logistics Procurement
- Assessment & Optimization
- Due Diligence
Lynette Sieber
Senior Consultant
Expertise
- Supply Chain Design
- Market Analysis
- Logistics Procurement
- Assessment & Optimization
- Due Diligence
Tim Taylor
Consultant
Expertise
- Supply Chain Design
- Market Analysis
- Logistics Procurement
- Assessment & Optimization
- Due Diligence
Steve Truitt
John Tuttle
Project Manager
Expertise
- Supply Chain Design
- Market Analysis
- Logistics Procurement
- Assessment & Optimization
- Due Diligence
Project Examples
Industrial Rail & Logistics Park Development
Rail Contract Negotiation Strategy
