Small-Road Briefs: CVRR, INRD, Watco

Written by Marybeth Luczak, Executive Editor
Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly on April 12 reported via Twitter: “It was a pleasure to be in Hugoton today to break ground on a $15M project to upgrade the Cimarron Valley Railroad. This makes food and fuel transport across southwest Kansas easier and more efficient than ever, boosting our agriculture industry and economy.”

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly on April 12 reported via Twitter: “It was a pleasure to be in Hugoton today to break ground on a $15M project to upgrade the Cimarron Valley Railroad. This makes food and fuel transport across southwest Kansas easier and more efficient than ever, boosting our agriculture industry and economy.”

Jaguar Transport’s Cimarron Valley Railroad (CVRR) launches a $15 million infrastructure improvement project. Also, Indiana Rail Road (INRD) is adding a six-acre container yard; and Watco earns Best Practice Institute’s (BPI) Most Loved Workplace® certification for the second consecutive year.

CVRR on April 12 held a groundbreaking ceremony for its 85-mile rehabilitation project between Dodge City and Hugoton in southwest Kansas, reported KSCB, a Seward County Broadcasting Company based in Liberal, Kans.

The railroad was awarded nearly $15 million for the work from private and public sources, including the Federal Railroad Administration, through its Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) program.

“The Cimarron Valley Railroad has been committed to transporting Kansas-grown goods across the country and the world in a safe, environmentally friendly, and cost-efficient way for over two decades,” said CVRR President Nathan Champion, according to KSCB. “These funds will help us continue to do that. We are thankful for the partnerships—both public and private—that have helped make these upgrades happen to ensure uninterrupted transportation of essential goods throughout local, national and international markets.”

INRD earned Railway Age’s Regional of the Year award for 2012 and 2018. (INRD Photograph)

Inside INdiana Business on April 6 reported that growth continues at INRD’s Indianapolis intermodal terminal. The addition of a six-acre container yard to accommodate storage of 1,000 empty shipping containers and an equal number of chassis is slated for completion this month, and an expansion of the terminal itself wrapped up in December. INRD CEO Dewayne Swindall told the media outlet that the entire effort was the result of a $6.5 million investment.

“We’re lucky, and we’re located in a great geographical area of the Midwest, where there’s lots of growth and lots of agricultural needs to get to market, especially in the export market,” said Swindall, according to Inside INdiana Business. “And what better way to do that than to run it in the intermodal supply chain that gives the customers and the traders options of going either East Coast and West Coast.”

The expansion’s objective, he noted, is to meet shippers’ current and future needs.  

The site in Indianapolis was developed in 2013 to handle about 40,000 containers per year, and the expansion doubles that number, according to Inside INdiana Business.

(Watco Photograph)

Watco—a transportation service and logistics company based in Pittsburg, Kans.—has been certified as a Most Loved Workplace®. In a recent BPI-conducted survey, Watco employees rated their feelings about workplace satisfaction and sentiment including the level of respect, collaboration, support and sense of belonging at the company.

“After analyzing our survey results, BPI determined we are a Most Loved Workplace,” Watco Chief People Officer Rachael Peterson said during the April 12 announcement. “It’s significant for our team, especially to receive back-to-back recognition. Our team members have created a rich culture at Watco, and that’s reflected in this achievement.”

Most Loved Workplaces “produce customer service, employee performance, and retention that is three to four times better than companies that do not rank as Most Loved,” according to BPI, a Florida-based leadership development and benchmark research company.

“We believe that if we get the culture right, other things fall into place,” said Watco CEO Dan Smith, who will be a featured speaker at Railway Age’s new virtual seminar, Young Professionals, to be held May 11. “We strive for an environment that puts people first, so this honor means a lot.”

With certification, Watco said it qualifies for two Newsweek magazine lists: a global Top 100 list and America’s 100 Most Loved Workplaces. Watco made the top 100 Most Loved Workplaces list in 2022. It was also named a top transportation and logistics company on the Forbes 2021 list of America’s best employers.

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