Ports of Indiana launching new railroad at Mount Vernon port
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The Ports of Indiana and its new rail operator, OmniTrax, have created a new railroad to coordinate rail connections and assemble outbound trains at the state’s largest Ohio River port in Mount Vernon.
Called Mount Vernon Railroad, it will serve the southwest Indiana port by managing the connections to the Mount Vernon-based Evansville Western Railway shortline railroad, which provides direct access to four Class I railroads: BNSF, CSX, Norfolk Southern and Union Pacific.
Ports of Indiana and Denver-based OmniTrax said Wednesday that students from three Mount Vernon elementary schools have been invited to join a contest in naming the two locomotives that will operate at the port. The 2,000-horsepower model GP38-2 locomotives were built in 1968 by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors but have received major engine overhauls.
“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 news 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.”
Earlier this year the Ports of Indiana reached an agreement with OmniTrax to serve as the new rail operator and development partner at the Ports of Indiana-Mount Vernon, Inside INdiana Business reported in July.
The company, which operates 27 railroads serving ports and industrial parks across the country, was selected from a group of 19 railroads that made proposals to manage rail operations at the port and provide switching, sorting and various other services.
“We’re proud to be part of the Mount Vernon community and to celebrate the launch of Mount Vernon Railroad,” OmniTrax Chief Commercial Officer Ryan Higgins, an Evansville native, said in the release. “The communities we serve are important partners to OmniTrax and our team is excited to begin building long-term relationships here in Mount Vernon. As we serve the Ports of Indiana, port companies, and the community, we are excited to bring new business, new investment, and new jobs to Mount Vernon for years to come.”
The port authority has said that the aim of the long-term agreement with OmniTrax is to help further support the port’s existing customers and attract new business. The 1,200-acre port along the Ohio River has nearly 700 acres of land available for development.
Last year the port handled about 40,000 railcars and 6.7 million tons of cargo shipments, the news release said.