Former RailAmerica executive back in railroading

BOCA RATON, Fla. – Gary O. Marino, co-founder and former chairman, president, and CEO of RailAmerica, Inc. has formed Patriot Rail Corp. to acquire short-line and regional freight railroads. The new company last week announced its first acquisition, the 118-mile Tennessee Southern Railroad. The TSRR, based in Mt. Pleasant, Tenn., operates in middle Tennessee and northwestern Alabama on former Norfolk Southern and CSX trackage. It interchanges with CSX at Natco, Tenn., and with inland barge lines through its port facility at Florence, Ala., on the Tennessee River. The TSRR principally hauls wood products, fertilizer, steel, slag, soapstone and LP gas. It has a staff of 25 and operates eight locomotives.