The new gondola-style railcar has double the strength of traditional models despite weighing 15,000 lbs. less. The lightweight steel construction also permits more cargo capacity and requires less energy to haul, lowering fuel consumption.

“The use of lightweight, high-strength steel is a real revolution for railcars,” said Norfolk Southern chairman and chief executive James Squires. “Not only will each gondola carry more material, they will do so by using less energy, making our operations, and our customer’s operations, even more environmentally friendly.”

Norfolk Southern has committed to purchasing 800 of the new railcars for its fleet.

Read the full press release from U. S. Steel here.