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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Short line railroad operators like Patriot Rail and Ports are increasingly on global investors’ radar amid rising demand for long-lasting infrastructure that can offer a combination of stability and growth. First State Investments, an Australia-based investment firm, announced on Aug. 27 that it would acquire Jacksonville-based Patriot, which operates short line railroads, […]
A West Virginia Central freight train led by C&O-painted, ex-Milwaukee Road F7A No. 7094 near Elkins, W.Va. Chase Gunnoe Keokuk Junction Railway in Illinois recently sidelined its F-units in revenue freight service, however cab unit enthusiasts can still capture first generation diesels pulling freight on two railroads in North America. According to the managers of […]
Cleveland Commercial at Bedford, Ohio, on Aug. 22, 2016. This daily train originates at Falls Junction and goes into Cleveland. Craig Sanders CLEVELAND, Ohio – OmniTrax Inc. will acquire Cleveland Commercial Railroad and its wholly owned subsidiary, Cleveland Harbor Belt Railroad. The acquisition is expected to close in late August, 2019. The price for the […]
NEW YORK — Australian infrastructure investment firm First State Investments will acquire short line operator Patriot Rail and Ports from SteelRiver Infrastructure Partners, the companies announced today. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The Jacksonville, Fla., based Patriot Rail operates a dozen short line railroads, has a rail services arm, and is an East […]
A loaded D&I Railroad rock train heads south over South Dakota-owned track at Fairview, S.D. on Nov. 4, 2016. The state plans to sell its rail lines. Steve Glischinski PIERRE, S.D. — The state of South Dakota is getting out of the railroad business. The South Dakota Railroad Board announced this week it will be […]
Huntsville & Lake of Bays Transportation Co. engines Nos. 1 and 2, which often doubleheaded together, are serviced at the South Portage water tank. Antiques even in the 1940s, both 0-4-0T’s still carry their shield-shaped H. K. Porter builder’s plates from 1888: No. 1 was construction number 911; No. 2 was c/n 912. Robert Holden […]
OmniTRAX President and CEO Kevin Shuba OmniTRAX DENVER — OmniTRAX recently announced the Winchester & Western Railroad will be the latest short line railroad to join the OmniTRAX roster, giving the Colorado-based railroad company access to industrial markets in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley and throughout the Northeast. Combined, the Winchester & Western adds 100 miles and […]
WASHINGTON — Brookfield Asset Management has urged federal regulators to quickly lift the indefinite hold they have placed on its proposed $8.4-billion acquisition of Genesee & Wyoming. Brookfield, in an Aug. 16 letter to the board made public on the agency’s website today, wrote that the hold creates unnecessary regulatory uncertainty, raises costs, and complicates […]
Burlington Junction Railway has added four MK1500D locomotives to its already eclectic roster. The new units operate mostly around Quincy, Ill., where much of the traffic base is located. In this photo, three of the four units work the Quincy yard on July 3, 2019. Steve Smedley QUINCY, Ill. – The future of the unique […]
WASHINGTON — Short line operator OmniTRAX is throwing in the towel on its Central Texas & Colorado River Railway. OmniTRAX this week filed to abandon the 67.5-mile line, citing its dim prospects and millions of dollars in operating losses since it acquired the route in 2016. The prime culprits: New crushed rock traffic that never […]
Black Mesa & Lake Powell crosses a bridge near Cow Springs, Ariz. Andy Kirol PAGE, Ariz. – The end is in sight for the isolated Black Mesa & Lake Powell Railroad in northern Arizona, with some reports putting the end of operation in August yet. Each day, except Wednesday, a single set of hoppers makes […]
WASHINGTON — Canadian National will lease trackage in Mobile, Ala., to a new short line, Alabama Export Railroad, according to an Aug. 12 regulatory filing. The Alabama Export Railroad will operate 12.1 miles of former Illinois Central trackage in downtown Mobile and serve eight customers on the line. Alabama Export plans to work closely with […]
