Watco

Photo Courtesy of Watco via Twitter

Small-Road Briefs: Watco, PennDOT

Watco launches first phase of GeoConnect. Also, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) announces $26 million for 24 rail freight improvement projects through the Rail Transportation Assistance Program (RTAP) and the Rail Freight Assistance Program (RFAP).

Watco's 222-acre Refugio Transload Terminal is served by BNSF Railway and UP.

Watco Completes Expansion of Refugio Transload Terminal

Watco on Nov. 1 announced the completion of a recent $6.7 million expansion and improvement project at its Refugio, Tex.-based rail, storage and transloading facility, which has “created increased railcar capacity resulting in a 600-car storage-in-transit (SIT) yard with heightened security,” the company said in a press release.

RDC, whose companies include Iowa Interstate Railroad and Pop-Up Metro, LLC, has become the eighth member of the RailPulse Coalition.

RDC Joins RailPulse Coalition

RailPulse has an eighth member: Pittsburgh, Penn.-based railway investment and management company Railroad Development Corporation (RDC), which on Oct. 19 joined the coalition established in late 2020 to “develop, broaden and accelerate the use of GPS and other telematics technologies in North America’s freight rail industry.”

Union Pacific on June 7 joined the RailPulse coalition, which was formed in late 2020 to “develop, broaden and accelerate the use of GPS and other telematics technologies in North America’s freight rail industry.”

RailPulse Outlines Three-Phase Pilot

RailPulse is developing a cloud-based telematics platform in an aim “to accelerate the adoption of GPS and other technologies across the North American railcar network.” Late last month, it outlined a three-phase approach to development, which is slated to be complete in second-quarter 2023.

Telegraph, Watco Join Forces

Telegraph, a Chicago-based startup offering a cloud-based operating system for railroads, shippers, logistics service providers and railcar leasing companies, has partnered with Watco to help shippers with tough logistics challenges, with a focus on rail transportation.

ASLRRA Briefs

What’s the value of attending American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) regional meetings? ASLRRA Board Chair Stefan Loeb weighs in. Also, September is National Preparedness Month in the U.S., and the association is offering disaster preparedness tools for members.