Genesee & Wyoming short-liner increases railcar capacity following N.C. job
Written by RT&S Staff
A Genesee & Wyoming short-liner has upgraded its entire line to handle 286,000-lb railcar loadings.
Genesee & Wyoming Inc. announced at a ribbon cutting on Nov. 1 that its subsidiary North Carolina & Virginia Railroad Company, LLC (NCVA), a 56-mile short-line freight railroad operating between Boykins, Va., and Tunis, N.C., has upgraded its entire line to handle 286,000-lb railcar loadings.
Enabling customers to ship and receive 286,000-lb railcars, matching the capacity of the national railroads, increases NCVA’s competitiveness compared to other modes of transportation. The railroad’s infrastructure previously had been limited to 271,000-lb railcar loadings.
In an $11.6-million project to achieve the capacity improvement, NCVA installed 21 miles of continuous-welded rail; replaced 25,700 crossties, 12 turnouts and eight grade crossings; resurfaced 51 track miles, including the addition of 22,500 tons of stone ballast; and performed extensive upgrades to its Meherrin River bridge. Completed on schedule and within budget, the project was funded by a $5.8 million federal TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) grant with matching funds provided by NCVA and the North Carolina Department of Transportation.
“This project means a lot to us here at Nucor,” said Bob McCracken, vice president and general manager of Nucor’s Hertford County plate mill. “Nearly 70 percent of shipments from our mill go out by rail. The improvements built by NCVA will not only help make Nucor more competitive nationally and globally, but also will help grow the entire Hertford County and Eastern North Carolina economy. We are thankful that our state and federal government officials recognized the need for this investment in critical infrastructure and supported the continued growth of our region.”
“In addition to the benefits that the TIGER project provides our customers, this public-private partnership helps make North Carolina more attractive to new business and industry looking to set up operations,” said NCVA President Andy Chunko. “All of us at NCVA greatly appreciate the partnership with USDOT and NCDOT to provide the critical funding to complete this project, as well as the special support provided by Congressman G. K. Butterfield. This was a great team effort that will provide long-term support for economic and job growth in northeastern North Carolina.”
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