Watco Archives - Railway Age

Watco’s South Kansas & Oklahoma Railroad will serve a new $325 million Barlett soybean crushing facility in Montgomery County, Kans.

October 15, 2021
Class I, Freight, Intermodal, M/W, News, Short Lines & Regionals, Switching & Terminal

Industrial Development Briefs

Intermodal service provider Tiger Cool Express will develop a logistics center at the former Union Pacific Cold Connect warehouse in Wallula, Wash. In addition, CSX has designated a third Tennessee property as a CSX Select Site; Bartlett, a Savage Company, will build a $325 million soybean crushing facility in Kansas, to be served by Watco; and the U.S. Economic Development Administration is awarding CARES Act Recovery Assistance grants for the construction of a new industrial rail spur in Arkansas and improvements to the Lubbock Rail Port in Texas.

The 735-acre Greens Port offers more than 3 million square feet of warehouse space, storage for 1,600 railcars across four rail yards, and seven deep water and nine barge berths along the Houston Ship Channel.

August 24, 2021
Freight, Intermodal, News, Short Lines & Regionals, Switching & Terminal

Leasing Brokers Tapped to Market Watco’s Greens Port

Two commercial real estate firms/leasing brokers are marketing a 60-acre industrial property located within Watco’s Greens Port Industrial Park on the Houston (Tex.) Ship Channel.

The Global Transportation & Industrial Park of Oklahoma includes more than 200 acres for air, rail and truck transport as well as spaces for transloading, warehousing, distribution and manufacturing. (Photo: Business Wire)

August 05, 2021
Class I, Freight, Intermodal, News, Short Lines & Regionals, Switching & Terminal

WP Global to Develop Oklahoma Logistics Facility

A $124 million development plan is now in place to transform a significant portion of Oklahoma’s Ardmore Industrial Airport into a multi-modal logistics facility. WP Global Holdings—comprising Watco, Knightsbridge Partners and Chickasaw Nation—and property owner Ardmore Development Authority are leading the multi-phase effort under a public-private leasing agreement.

Watco will receive proceeds from a new Series E perpetual preferred equity security, allowing the transportation company to “refinance part of its capital structure, while also providing additional capital to support [its] ongoing customer growth initiatives and fund future acquisition opportunities.”

July 08, 2021
Freight, News, Short Lines & Regionals

For Watco, New Investment Partner

Pittsburg, Kans.-based Watco—an owner and operator of short lines, terminals, ports and mechanical shops—has entered into a strategic equity relationship with a global investment management firm.

After serving as operator for three years, Watco has purchased the 26-mile Geaux Geaux Railroad, which runs between Slaughter and Zee, La.

May 21, 2021
Freight, News, Safety, Short Lines & Regionals

Small Road News: SLSI, Watco

The Short Line Safety Institute (SLSI) has released a 2020 report of safety culture assessment results; Watco has acquired the Geaux Geaux Railroad in Louisiana from Amzak Capital Management.

May 07, 2021
Analytics, C&S, Class I, Commuter/Regional, Freight, Intermodal, Light Rail, Locomotives, M/W, Mechanical, News, Passenger, PTC, Rapid Transit, Regulatory, Safety, Short Lines & Regionals, Switching & Terminal

2021 Railway Age Readers’ Influential Leaders

RAILWAY AGE MAY 2021 ISSUE: The mantra of these railroaders: Making a difference. They’re not only helping to shape the industry, but also tomorrow’s leaders.

The Refugio Transload Terminal can accommodate 650 railcars, and offers eight 2,000-ton concrete silos with conveyer systems for handling bulk commodities, with the option to transload from rail to silo to truck, in any combination.

May 05, 2021
Class I, Freight, Intermodal, News, Short Lines & Regionals, Switching & Terminal

For Watco, New Texas Terminal

Watco is now offering a 222-acre transloading facility near Refugio, Tex., to support the bulk, chemicals, oil and gas, wind energy, agriculture, and steel industries.

April 20, 2021
Class I, Commuter/Regional, Freight, Intermodal, Locomotives, M/W, Mechanical, News, Passenger, Regulatory, Short Lines & Regionals, Switching & Terminal

Railway Age 2021 Readers’ Influential Leaders

Railway Age is pleased to present the results of its second annual Readers’ Influential Leaders program.

Watco will purchase from CN approximately 250 miles of track in Ontario, Canada, and 650 miles of branch lines in Wisconsin and Michigan.

March 30, 2021
Class I, Freight, News, Regulatory, Short Lines & Regionals, Switching & Terminal

Watco Expanding Rail Portfolio

CN and Watco have reached an agreement on the sale of rail lines in Northern Ontario, Wisconsin and Michigan, the companies reported March 30.

Arkansas & Missouri Railroad President Caren Kraska testified on the economic and environmental advantages of rail, during a recent hearing of the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials.

March 23, 2021
Class I, Freight, Locomotives, Mechanical, News, Short Lines & Regionals, Switching & Terminal

Short Lines: Part of the ‘Green’ Solution

Already the leader in fuel-efficient surface transportation, the railroad industry is now making every effort to be a part of the solution to improving the environment, and the short line industry is all in on a variety of fronts.