OmniTRAX Named Rail Operator for Ports of Indiana-Mount Vernon
Written by Marybeth Luczak, Executive Editor
OmniTRAX on Aug. 1 is slated to add the fourth domestic port to its network: Ports of Indiana-Mount Vernon. (Ports of Indiana-Mount Vernon Photograph)
OmniTRAX on June 27 reported being selected as the exclusive rail operator for Ports of Indiana-Mount Vernon; the projected start date is Aug. 1. This will be the fourth domestic port in the OmniTRAX network, which also includes 27 railroads.
The 1,200-acre port, with eight miles of track, handles as many as 40,000 railcars annually, including direct unit train service for multiple customers. Commodities include corn, wheat, coal, ethanol, fertilizer, limestone, pig iron, steel coils, salt, soybean products, milo, steel slabs, cement, dried distillers grain, talc, coke, and heavy lift cargo.
Located in southwestern Indiana, 15 miles west of Evansville, the Ports of Indiana-Mount Vernon is the closest major port to the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio rivers. It connects with Evansville Western Railway, which interchanges with BNSF, CSX, Norfolk Southern and Union Pacific (see map above).
Under the agreement, OmniTRAX will provide rail service and support the master development of 680 available acres owned by Ports of Indiana-Mount Vernon, including a 544-acre mega site that is said to represent the largest contiguous greenfield space within Indiana’s three port system. The other port locations are Burns Harbor (on the southern tip of Lake Michigan in Portage) and Jeffersonville (just across from Louisville, Ky., on the Ohio River).
“OmniTRAX is excited to add our best-in-class rail safety and extensive real estate development capabilities to grow the port,” said Dean Piacente, CEO of OmniTRAX, the transportation affiliate of The Broe Group. “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.”
“This is a landmark agreement for Ports of Indiana-Mount Vernon that will spur significant growth and business expansions throughout the region,” added Jody Peacock, CEO of the Ports of Indiana, a statewide port authority established in 1961. “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.”
In other OmniTRAX news, John Bradley was recently promoted to Executive Vice President of Operations.
