JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Patriot Rail has added another short line to its stable.
The short line holding company on Jan. 9 closed on its acquisition of the Delta Southern Railroad, which operates two line segments that are roughly 60 miles apart in Monroe and Tallulah, Louisiana.
DSRR operates over 40 miles of track between the two lines and serves two Mississippi River port facilities at Lake Providence Port and Madison Parish Port. DSRR interchanges with Kansas City Southern and Union Pacific.
DSRR is well situated in a strong chemical and petrochemicals corridor, Patriot Rail says, with a customer base comprising several large-scale chemical manufacturers as well as forest industry shippers.
The acquisition of DSRR aligns brings the company’s operations to a total of 32 railroads, with a Patriot Rail presence across 23 U.S. states. DSRR will enhance Patriot’s Louisiana footprint along with Patriot-owned Louisiana and North West Railroad (LNW), which is headquartered in Homer, La., and provides rail service from Gibsland, La., to McNeil, Ark.
“Including Delta Southern in Patriot Rail’s growing network will enable further competitive options for rail shippers in Louisiana and across the country,” Patriot CEO John E. Fenton said in a statement. “This strategic acquisition builds on Patriot Rail’s continuing expansion and exemplifies our growth focus on quality rail assets to meet customer needs. We look forward to serving and working with rail customers on the DSRR to enhance freight traffic.”
