The rail extension will serve the planned development of GAF Materials in the Kansas Logistics Park.

KDOT Awards City of Newton $3MM for Rail Extension

The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) announced on Aug. 29 that it has committed $3.04 million to the City of Newton for a rail extension in the 225-acre-plus Kansas Logistics Park, an

Anna May (second from right), a staff member from the office of Congressman Michael Guest (R-Miss.), and Missy Younger (third from right), a staff member from the office of Congressman Trent Kelly (RMiss.), joined Watco Assistant Vice President-Government Relations Ailsa von Dobeneck (second from left) for a tour of ASLRRA member and Watco company Mississippi Southern Railroad and a discussion of short line freight rail industry priorities.

Small-Road Briefs: Mississippi Southern Railroad, FRA

Mississippi congressional staffers tour Watco-owned Mississippi Southern Railroad (MSR). Also, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) could be opening the 2022 Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) grant program soon and is continuing its Office Hours webinars to discuss Railroad Crossing Elimination (RCE) grant program.

GPIP in Parsons, Kans., includes more than 6,800 acres of property and 26 miles of track.

Watco Selected as Great Plains Industrial Park Rail Operations Provider

The Great Plains Development Authority (GPDA) announced on Aug. 22 that it has selected Watco as the new rail operator of the Great Plains Industrial Park (GPIP) in Parsons, Kans., effective Jan. 1, 2023.

Watco’s newest short line, the 63-mile Texas Coastal Bend Railroad serving the Port of Corpus Christi, unveiled two locomotives emblazoned with the Port logo on Aug. 2. (Photograph Courtesy of Watco)

TCBR Launches at Port of Corpus Christi

Texas Coastal Bend Railroad (TCBR) on Aug. 3 began service at the Port of Corpus Christi in Texas.

The Middle Georgia Megasite—adjacent to Georgia Highway 96 in Peach County—will be served by Norfolk Southern, which can access the Port of Savannah and Port of Brunswick in less than five hours. (Map Courtesy of Development Authority of Peach County, Ga.)

Industrial Development Briefs: NS, Watco

The state of Georgia and the Development Authority of Peach County purchased a 1,113-acre industrial development site to be served by Norfolk Southern (NS). Also, Bartlett, a Savage Company, kicked off construction of its $375 million, Watco-served soybean crushing plant in southeast Kansas.

“The use of technology to increase shipment visibility is critical for ensuring we meet the needs and expectations of our customers who rely upon us for safe and reliable service,” said Kenny Rocker, Executive Vice President-Marketing and Sales for UP, which has joined the RailPulse coalition.

UP Joins RailPulse Coalition

RailPulse has a seventh member: Union Pacific, which on June 7 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.”

RailPulse Teams With Railinc (Updated, Blaze)

Railinc will develop, maintain and operate RailPulse’s technology platform for monitoring railcar location, condition and health under a 10-year agreement, RailPulse reported on May 31.

To accommodate growth, Watco has more than doubled the size of its Safe Performance Center, boosting the number of employees who can receive on-site training there each day from 40 to 150.

Small-Road Briefs: Watco, FGA

Watco has completed a $3 million expansion of its Fairfield, Ala.-based training center. Also, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has awarded $3.2 million to Okaloosa County to expand roads, rail lines and utility infrastructure at the Shoal River Ranch industrial mega site, to be served by the Florida Gulf & Atlantic Railroad (FGA).

Rail Insights 2022: Oberman, Itzkoff to Talk Freight Service

At Railway Age’s Eighth Annual Rail Insights Conference, to be held virtually June 23, Surface Transportation Board Chair Martin J. Oberman will cover freight railroad service, reciprocal switching, supply chain congestion, labor shortages and Amtrak access—among the controversial issues the Board has been addressing during recent hearings.

Railway Age’s 2022 Short Line of the Year is the Vermont Railway (VTR; left). Our Regional of the Year is the South Kansas and Oklahoma Railroad (SKOL).

VTR, SKOL Accept Railway Age Awards

The Vermont Railway (VTR) and South Kansas and Oklahoma Railroad (SKOL) accepted Railway Age’s 2022 Short Line & Regional Railroads of the Year Awards at the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) Annual Conference & Exhibition in St. Louis, Mo., on May 2.

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