May 30, 2024 - TRA Newswire / Progressive Railroading -

It started out as the master planned Wylie Logistics Park, northeast of downtown Dallas, next to the Starling Wylie Intermodal Terminal in 2021.

A state-of-the-art distribution and warehouse center in Wylie, with over 2 million square feet of space was planned. Those dreams were scrapped when Kansas City Southern merged with Canadian Pacific into the new CPKC in April last year.

The intermodal terminal, opened in 2015 and expanded out three years later, has some 20,000 feet of tracks, 300 container stack locations and can lift over 340,000 containers a year, according to the railroad. Add 1,800 parking spaces for trucks into the mix and you have a world class facility.  

Now, CPKC is taking the massive property in a new direction. Next month, the railroad will open phase one of the Wylie Automotive Facility on some 30 acres close to the intermodal center with more expansion to follow. It will require an additional footprint because, according to CPKC, it is already nearing capacity on space that was pre-sold for cars and trucks destined for Texas markets.  

With CPKC's reach across Canada, the U.S. and Mexico, the railroad can reach 25 automobile factories in what is now a fast-growing market segment. The automotive business is worth some $194 million to CPKC, just in the first quarter of this year.

CPKC said that the new auto compound will move finished vehicles more efficiently and expects increased demand for rail-shipped vehicles between ports on the west coast and mid-west and eastern delivery locations. The railroad hopes to take advantage of finished vehicles now being trucked along Interstate Highway 20 from DFW to Atlanta and beyond. It's affiliation on the Meridian Speedway with Norfolk Southern may help to increase market share. 

Photo credit: CPKC