MOUNT VERNON, Ind. — The new OmniTRAX railroad serving Port of Indiana-Mount Vernon has been named the Mount Vernon Railroad, and students from three local schools have a chance to name the two GP38-2 locomotives that will serve the port railroad.=
OmniTRAX was named as the operator for the port on the Ohio River in June, having been selected from 19 railroads that made operating proposals [see “OmniTRAX named railroad operator …,” Trains News Wire, June 27, 2024.
The new railroad has also unveiled its logo, which features the maroon and gray colors of the Mount Vernon community schools. The railroad will assemble outbound trains for interchange with the Evansville Western Railway, which provides access to Class I railroads BNSF, CSX, Norfolk Southern, and Union Pacific.
“It’s important for us to have a port railroad that pays tribute to our community and further strengthens the connections between our companies and the people who live and work here,” Ports of Indiana CEO Jody Peacock said in a press release. “This port has been part of the Mount Vernon community for nearly 50 years, and we are excited to celebrate the launch of the new railroad with the community so everyone can take pride in the new operation when they see these locomotives working around the port.”
The port handled approximately 40,000 railcars and 6.7 million tuns of total cargo in 2023.
Really nice project for community relations and involvement.