Patriot Rail to Form ‘Rail District’ at California Multimodal Facility
Written by Marybeth Luczak, Executive Editor
The multimodal Castle Commerce Center (pictured) features an airport with 11,800 feet of runway plus road access, and is adjacent to the BNSF mainline. Patriot Rail is forming a “rail district” at the facility, where it will lease 6,500 of track and related property.
The Merced County (Calif.) Board of Supervisors has signed off on an agreement with Patriot Rail to form a “rail district” at the 1,912-acre Castle Commerce Center.
The multimodal Castle Commerce Center features an airport with 11,800 feet of runway plus road access, and is adjacent to the BNSF mainline. A rail spur from that line currently connects with the facility, which is home to businesses such as AT&T, Big Creek Lumber and the University of Merced.
Under the agreement with Merced County, Patriot Rail will lease for 20 years approximately 6,500 feet of track and related property. The short line holding company will maintain the track, and said it expects make a $1.2 million initial investment to boost rail capacity and shipper fluidity in the new Castle rail district.
“Patriot Rail is pleased to advance and help drive Merced County’s vision of economic growth,” said John E. Fenton, CEO of Jacksonville, Fla.-based Patriot Rail. “We are committed to providing service and safety excellence as a premier rail solutions provider, and to partnering with Merced County customers to ensure exciting new competitive options for shipment by rail to build business and grow jobs.”
“This agreement is the culmination of years of market analysis and strategic planning,” said Lloyd Pareira, Board of Supervisors Chairman for Merced County, which is located in California’s Central Valley, the agricultural hub of the state.
The agreement with Patriot Rail was executed through Patriot Rail subsidiary Foster Townsend Rail Logistics, LLC.
