R. J. Corman plans purchase, rehab of Carolina Southern

Written by Jenifer Nunez, assistant editor

R. J. Corman Railroad Company has signed an agreement to purchase Carolina Southern Railroad, an 80-mile shortline railroad in eastern North and South Carolina, for $13.9 million.

The company plans to rehabilitate and operate the rail line, which was shut down in 2011.

R. J. Corman was selected as the owner/operator by a two-state rail committee formed to facilitate the sale of the railroad, which is needed for the region’s economic development. The line extends from Mullins, S.C., to Whiteville, N.C. and to Conway, S.C., where it connects to a line owned by
Horry County, S.C., that reaches Myrtle Beach.

“Our company has seen significant growth over the past few years and we are very pleased to announce this significant acquisition,” said R. J. Corman Railroad Group President and Chief Executive Officer Craig King. “This opportunity is a direct result of the excellent work our employees perform here in Central Kentucky and all over the country. We’ve earned a reputation for efficient, safe railroad operations.”

R. J. Corman says it will invest millions of dollars for an extensive overhaul of the line. The rehab process will begin in about six weeks, once the acquisition is complete and will take at least four months.

“Our first step will be to more fully assess the rehabilitation that’s needed so we can efficiently bring it up to our high standards,” said King. “We will deploy our expert railroad construction team to the region, as well as hire some local workers.”

“We appreciate this opportunity and realize its significance,” said Bill Henderson, vice president of sales and marketing for the company. “It’s easy to see there is tremendous opportunity for our company in the Carolinas and for the industries and agricultural businesses we will serve.”

The company says the renewed railroad is expected to be an economic boom for the area by reducing industrial transportation costs, decreasing congestion from commercial truck traffic and creating up to 30 high-paying jobs once it is fully operational.

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