Railways Invest In Web Firm To Offer Improved Services

Four major North American railway companies have invested in Arzoon, a privately held company that has developed Internet technology to provide transportation customers with communication and freight-tracking capabilities. Canadian Pacific Railway Co., CSX Corp., Norfolk Southern Corp., and Union Pacific Corp. announced May 23 they will use San Mateo, Calif.-based Arzoon to improve customer-service relations and accessibility. "When fully developed , the new technology will enable our customers to utilize transportation services that seamlessly span the North-American continent from Canada to Mexico and from one coast to the other with just the click of a mouse," says Rob Ritchie, president and CEO of Canadian Pacific Railway. The system works by allowing customers to send a request for service to their select transportation carriers, who will then respond. After departure, the customer will then be able to monitor the freight shipment through Arzoon, according to Farid Dibachi, Arzoon CEO. The system can be used for rail-, highway-, air-, or water-transportation systems.