Union Pacific and CSX Transportation are operating the trains

Last month, officials at Railex, a division of Ampco Distribution Services LLC of Riverhead, Suffolk County, held job fairs in the Schenectady area to fill 150 positions at the new distribution center in Rotterdam Industrial Park. At the time, Railex spokesman Paul Esposito said the center eventually could employ 300 people.

Union Pacific and CSX Transportation are operating the trains, which is expected to reduce the cost of transporting the produce. Once it arrives here, the produce will make its way to retailers and consumers throughout the Northeast.

The train is expected to use far less fuel than the 200 trucks that would have been required to carry the same amount of produce, Railex officials have said. A year ago, Neil Golub, president and chief executive officer of Price Chopper supermarkets operator Golub Corp., told reporters that, with current shipping, "it costs more to ship a box of lettuce than the lettuce itself costs."

Spokeswoman Mona Golub on Friday afternoon said consumers likely will benefit.

"If that cost can be decreased for us," she said, "it can be decreased for customers at the retail level."