MOUNT VERNON, Ind. – OmniTRAX has been named the railroad operator for Ports of Indiana – Mount Vernon.
The short line holding company, which operates 27 railroads, will begin serving the 1,200-acre port on Aug. 4. It’s the fourth domestic port in the OmniTRAX network, the company said today.
“OmniTRAX is excited to add our best-in-class rail safety and extensive real estate development capabilities to grow the port,” CEO Dean Piacente said in a statement. “The Mount Vernon port provides efficient multi-modal access to the Midwest, and we are committed to helping grow existing businesses while bringing new jobs and new customers to Indiana.”
With an estimated $1.6 billion annual impact, Ports of Indiana-Mount Vernon handles more cargo than any other port in the state. The port’s eight miles of railroad track handle as many as 40,000 railcars annually, including direct unit train service for multiple customers.
Squaw Creek Southern Railroad currently operates the intraport trackage, which connects with the Evansville Western Railroad. The Evansville Western interchanges with BNSF Railway, CSX, Norfolk Southern, and Union Pacific.
The port’s new OmniTRAX partnership includes both rail service and industrial development.
“This is a landmark agreement for Ports of Indiana-Mount Vernon that will spur significant growth and business expansions throughout the region,” said Ports of Indiana CEO Jody Peacock. “OmniTRAX offers a unique combination of world-class rail operations and large-scale industrial development services that will help port customers grow and attract new businesses. The Mount Vernon facility is already Indiana’s largest port in terms of cargo shipments, rail traffic and developable land, and it also has the greatest potential for future growth.”
OmniTRAX will support master development of 680 available acres owned by Ports of Indiana in Mount Vernon, including a 544-acre mega site that represents the largest contiguous greenfield space within Indiana’s three port system. A billion-dollar regional energy and agricultural hub, Ports of Indiana-Mount Vernon is the closest major port to the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers, and the closest port to the median center of the U.S. population.
Earlier this week OmniTRAX said it completed a multi-agency rail emergency response training exercise in Northern Colorado. The simulated event on Great Western Railroad, an OmniTRAX affiliate, included representation from Loveland Fire and Rescue Authority, Windsor Severance Fire Rescue, Great Western Railway, OmniTRAX, and the Short Line Safety Institute (SLSI).
“Emergency preparedness is essential to crisis prevention and management,” said Kayden Howard, the OmniTRAX senior vice president of health, safety, and environmental programs. “Proactive exercises like this offer invaluable hands-on training with rail cars and locomotives that help first responders rapidly diagnose and manage staged emergency scenarios. We are grateful to SLSI and our local emergency response partners for working together to keep our communities safe.”
The two-day training was part of the Short Line Safety Institute’s Hazardous Materials Instructor Training (HMIT) Program.
Evansville Western runs on the old L&N line from Evansville to Okawville, IL where CSX had cut it back from East St Louis due to lack of maintenance. CSX still owns the ROW, EVWR just leases it.
EVWR has done well by building out extensive spur lines to reach various southern Illinois coal mines.
Mt Vernon, Indiana has been major river port since before the civil war, and was first served by a predecessor of the Chicago & Eastern Illinois in 1855.