July 27, 2024 - TRA Newswire -
It took over three years to get paperwork and environmental clearances in place, but now the Rusk County Rural Rail District can put to use a $15 million grant to rebuild the rail line on the Henderson Overton branch in East Texas.
The North East Texas Regional Mobility Authority (NETRMA) announced that a $8.48 million dollar federal grant, matched by private partners, is now ready to help drive economic growth on the 14-mile long Rusk County line. Blacklands Railroad operates the short line for the rail district.
Infrastructure improvements totaling some $15 million are expect to get underway by the end of this year and will include purchasing more locomotives and equipment, track upgrades to accommodate more rail traffic and to modernize the connection to Class 1 Union Pacific at Overton. Transload facilities at Henderson and Overton will be upgraded to support future business.
John Cloutier, President of the Rusk County Rural Rail District said “Rusk County is seizing its future by transforming an aging rail line into a vibrant economic artery. This bold step is a testament to our commitment to replacing the county’s primary resources and driving economic growth through strategic infrastructure investments.”
The grant infusion is expected to created hundreds of jobs, according to NETRMA. “This $15 million project is a direct result of NET RMA’s commitment to fostering economic development in East Texas rural communities,” according to Glenn Green, Executive Director of NET RMA. “By investing in this rail line, we are not just building infrastructure but we are also building a better future for Rusk County and the surrounding areas.”
The rail line was purchased in 2010 by the rural rail district and currently serves customers hauling lumber, asphalt, scrap. frac sand, aggregate and chemicals.
The branch line continues to attract shippers. In October 2023, Tyler Pipe opened a transload facility on over seven acres that the company purchased from the Henderson Economic Development Corporation. "This facility will transload raw materials by rail needed to manufacture pipe and fittings that are distributed all over the United States. The facility will also load finished product by rail to our three distribution centers servicing the west and east coast. Tyler Pipe is proud of our partnership with the city of Henderson,” said Joseph Holzbauer, General Manager of Tyler Pipe.
On October 1, 2020 when the FRA grant was first announced, Wayne Defenbaugh, President/CEO of Blacklands Railroad, said “We are very excited to be working with our partners and team members to improve the Henderson Overton Branch Railroad and provide current and future rail shippers a premier rail service option. This will instill confidence in shippers and manufacturers to invest and build in East Texas. We believe that our partner cities of Henderson, Overton, and New London make for excellent locations to locate with their diverse workforce, central location, quality of life, and excellent economic development efforts. We at Blacklands Railroad are grateful that the US DOT and FRA have selected to invest in a 100% rural infrastructure project in Rusk County, Texas.”
Photo credit: Blacklands Railroad