Western Carolina Railway Service Corporation summary
The Western Carolina Railway Service Corporation is a privately held corporation that operates two short line railroads in South Carolina. It’s owned by President Steven Hawkins, and his wife Cheryl, who serves as chief financial officer. With headquarters out of Greer, the company operates 25 miles of standard-gauge track which are used by both the Aiken Railway Company and Greenville and Western Railway Company.
History
The Western Carolina Railway Service Corporation was organized in 2003 by Steven and Cheryl Hawkins. At the time, Steven’s railroading career had a resume in participating in startups for multiple short lines under RailTex and serving in management at three Norfolk Southern divisions. Observing how the railroads operate under different circumstances provided him the experience and knowledge to venture into the shortline business. Western Carolina purchased the Greenville and Western Railway from CSX Transportation in 2006, followed by leasing the Aiken Railway from NS in 2012.
Operations
Western Carolina Railway Service’s short lines serve as divisions to the company. The Greenville and Western Railway operates out of Pelzer and is the busiest out of the two freight railroads as Lincoln Energy serves as Western Carolina’s most important customer. The Aiken Railway offers service to multiple industries and railcar storage along the line out of downtown Aiken.
A couple of subsidiaries have been established under Western Carolina to provide unique services to the customers outside the freight haulage business. Western Carolina Railway Consulting Service offers a wide variety of railway consulting services ranging from safety and operational training to third-party contract development. Western Carolina Terminal Service provides on-site switching as well as track and signal maintenance.
Western Carolina’s roster of EMD diesel locomotives consist of two GP9s and four GP30s. Two of the GP30s are kept at the Aiken’s terminal for regular service, while the two GP9s operate on the Greenville and Western. The other two GP30s are stationed with the GP9s at an engine facility 3 miles south of Belton.
Read more about the Western Carolina Railway Service Corporation in Trains’ April 2019 issue.
