Rail consulting solutions to help you meet your customer demands
For over 20 years, PLG Consulting has been providing expert rail logistics, design, operations, and strategy consulting for a wide range of clients. We have the most experienced team in the field of freight rail consulting. Our know-how covers all aspects of rail transportation including commercial operations, engineering and design, costing, feasibility analysis, and economics.
PLG Consulting is dedicated to delivering breakthrough results and sustainable growth for rail shippers, railroads, and investors.
How we help
For rail carriers, PLG Consulting is the go-to expert resource for:
- Market Analysis: We have helped railroads of all sizes understand commodity markets and develop strategies for growth.
- Economic due diligence: Whether for acquisitions or divestitures, PLG Consulting helps carriers assess franchise strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities across terminals and line segments.
For some of the largest rail shippers in North America, PLG Consulting has helped optimize the use of rail across a broad range of rail-centric commodities including bulk materials, chemicals, minerals, energy products, and manufactured goods. Our range of rail consulting services for shippers includes:
Transportation procurement: Utilizing our specific and unique experience and expertise, we have conducted thorough rail rate analysis and benchmarking to help shipper clients negotiate billions of dollars’ worth of rail transportation contracts, ensuring the long-term economic viability of production sites as well as competitive freight rates to end-use destinations.
- PLG Consulting’s unique strength is the ability to develop multiple mode and carrier competitive options for shipper clients while cultivating “win-win” long term relationships between our shipper clients and rail carriers.
Rail design and engineering for plant sites: PLG Consulting optimizes existing in-plant rail operations, from physical infrastructure to rail management technology systems to locomotive assets and operating plans. We also develop rail layout and operating plans for new manufacturing sites as part of our site selection services.
- In every rail design and engineering project we always ensure that the design comes with a highly efficient operating plan. Those operating plans also include successful commercial and operational interface with the serving rail carrier(s).
Railcar fleet asset optimization and management: Assisting with the procurement and leasing of thousands of railcars, PLG Consulting helps you get the most out of your rail fleet operations. We have helped with commercial RFPs, mechanical specifications, pre-lease inspections, ad valorem reporting, fleet sizing, railcar storage, and technology systems for the efficient use of assets.
- Understanding a shipper’s end-to-end supply chain is critical in right-sizing railcar fleets to account for a myriad of variables, including cycle times, inventory requirements, railroad vs. shipper-supplied equipment, and railcar mechanical specifications.
For rail industry investors, PLG Consulting’s strong rail consulting track record includes:
- Due Diligence: Acquisition due diligence services on carriers, service providers, component providers, and asset builders and lessors.
- Market Analysis: Market feasibility analysis for new freight rail investments in both Due diligence on acquisitions and service providers, including safety/security risk analysis and post-transaction mitigation initiatives
Rail is a core expertise of PLG
We have numerous experts, including the firm’s founder, who are veterans of several North American Class I railroads. In addition to that background, we also have one of the best rail design engineering teams in the industry as well as numerous experts who have managed the rail supply chains for some of the largest rail shippers in the world.Project Examples

Major refining company optimizes their logistics strategy via comprehensive railcar fleet assessment
A major petroleum refiner, producing high-value light products such as gasoline, diesel fuel, jet fuel and specialty lubricant products was looking for a comprehensive railcar fleet assessment to understand opportunities for improved efficiencies and cost reductions. Due...

International specialty chemical manufacturer gets new rail yard
Client is a chemical manufacturer with a large fleet and multiple third-party tenants. One client facility was experiencing sustained growth, and rail yards were trending towards over-capacity. Client requested assistance with intraplant site selection for a...

Specialty chemical client boosts rail fleet utilization through improved technology
PLG developed a game plan to effectively manage rail-related assets and costs and significantly improve fleet performance. Responsible for rail management systems assessment, tools selection, and implementation. The project resulted in fewer railcars; lower lease and...

A world-class producer of calcium products sees seven-figure cost reductions
Founded in 1907 and built on one of the world's richest limestone reserves, this client is the most diversified producer of high-quality lime and calcium-based products in North America. With thousands of rail shipments per year,...

A world-leading chemical producer supplying products to large industrial customers improves competitiveness via comprehensive rail freight negotiation strategy
The Client, a world-leading chemical producer supplying products to large industrial customers, owns a major producing facility that is captive to a single railroad. The challenge was to develop and execute a rail freight negotiations strategy that would...

Revolutionizing Rail Safety and Efficiency: How a leading chemical manufacturer transformed operations through procedural revisions and employee training standardization
Imagine a colossal coastal chemical company that has been dominating the market for the past three decades, experiencing tremendous growth. As the company expanded, it constructed its own internal railroad network to facilitate the delivery of...
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