With direct access to both the CSX Transportation and Norfolk Southern Class I railroads, the initial 10 sites were carefully selected with the Cumberland County Improvement Authority, Choose NJ, and municipal development departments, in addition to landowners and developers of the sites. Together, the 10 sites total close to 600 acres and range in size from seven to more than 140 acres. These 10 properties are ideal locations for rail-served manufacturing, food processing, recycling and distribution facilities, and will bring jobs to Cumberland County.
“At OmniTRAX, we focus on growing American Communities. The Rail-Ready Sites program is a way to collaborate with our community partners and bring rail-served properties to market, aiding those communities and embracing rail-related growth. Freight rail is a precious commodity. Together with our community partners, we are committed to bringing Rail-Ready Sites like these to market in order to connect more businesses to the freight rail network, which is proven to create jobs and economic growth,” said Ean Johnson, Vice President of Economic Development at OmniTRAX.
“Cumberland County is unique in offering shippers strategic proximity and connectivity to markets with more than 100 million customers in the New Jersey-Boston-New York City-Philadelphia-Washington DC corridor. We have a business-friendly approach and are ready to talk,” said Gerard Velazquez III, President and CEO, Cumberland County Improvement Authority.
More information is available online.
— From an OmniTRAX news release. April 1, 2020.
Problem is, New Jersey is not a business-friendly state. High taxes, bloated public payroll and lots and lots of regulations. I’ve spent many years down there: Closed factories and boarded-up businesses.
I grew up in the area but keep some contacts there. Sounds like a highly hopeful and optimistic effort. None of the existing railroad infrastructure in the area could support heavy trains moving at a decent speed. For example, the line from Vineland to Bridgeton is the vestige of the Central of New Jersey line that came all the way from the New York area. It exists today because the old PRSL from Camden to Millville remains active and a connection was made in Vineland to that remaining segment. Anyhow, I wish them a modicum of success.
Charles, it’s not a Class 1, that’s all you need to know.
What I understand is that there are some stretches of rail that have business-ready sites and there could be more if you, Mr. Businessman, buy in.
I’m not processing this very well … Is this a railroad that’s looking for business? That wants a relationship to shippers? That wants carloads? Doesn’t make any sense to me.