First Short Line Railroad in Northern Nevada Establishes Transloading and Storage Terminal
Northern Nevada Development Authority (NNDA) today announced that Black Gold Rail Terminals: Northern Nevada, a subsidiary of Blacklands Railroad, has established a transloading and storage terminal at the Northern Nevada Railport & Logistics Center in Fernley, NV. With the ability to accommodate most products, Black Gold Rail Terminals can cost effectively help meet a company’s intermodal, logistics, and distribution needs. Texas-based Blacklands Railroad is already investing $1 million for additional railroad track and a locomotive.
The terminal is located at 1000 Reno Highway, and is served by both Union Pacific Railroad (UP) and Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway (BNSF). Already operational, the terminal will be available 24/7, with 5-day a week rail service. For trucks, there is major highway access, and an onsite certified truck scale with printout capability. Black Gold Rail offers onsite railcar switching and repair, along with the ability to track and trace railcars throughout the U.S.
According to Blacklands Railroad President, Wayne Defebaugh, “Because Reno-Sparks and the Sierra Region are both bisected by key rail and interstate highways, it has a federal ‘port of entry’ designation. Establishing a Black Gold Rail Terminal in Fernley was a good fit as Northern Nevada’s logistics industry is quickly expanding to meet the multi-modal shipping and distribution needs of customers nationwide.”
Black Gold Rail Terminals: Northern Nevada provides onsite access to rail for the purpose of trans-loading all kinds of products from truck to rail or rail to truck for more cost effective and convenient transportation options. “Railcars transport some of the ore utilized at our facility,” said Keith Lancaster, a representative of Dicaperl Minerals LLC, a Black Gold Rail Terminals: Northern Nevada customer. “The location of the Black Gold Rail Terminal makes it convenient to our plant. There is a scale onsite, which makes it convenient to weigh our trailers after offloading from the railcars, and the facility is well maintained.”
“We are pleased to welcome Blacklands Railroad to the Sierra Region, said Robert Hooper, NNDA President & CEO. “The establishment of Black Gold Rail Terminals: Northern Nevada marks the 100th company, since 2010, that we have assisted with expansion or relocation.” Hooper continued, “Freight rail is integral to infrastructure, logistics and trade. The combination of Nevada’s rail network and more than 150 freight carriers offers cost-effective logistics for businesses, helping the Silver State attract new warehousing, distribution and manufacturing operations seeking a West Coast hub. This is creating growth opportunities for both rail and trucking operations.”
Trains are the most efficient way of transporting freight over land, moving a ton of cargo about 468 miles on a single gallon of fuel, according to the Association of American Railroads (AAR). In addition, railroads are the most environmentally friendly way to move freight over land. Private rail companies pay their own way with little help from taxpayers. On average, railroads reinvest 40% of every dollar they earn back into their infrastructure.
Class II and III small or mid-sized railroad companies, known as short lines, operate over a much shorter distance than larger, Class I national railroad networks. According to the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA), short lines operate 47,500 miles of track nationwide, with much of it in rural areas. This keeps these areas connected to the U.S. economy. Short lines invest on average from 25% to 33% of their annual revenues in rehabilitating their infrastructure.
The short lines can transport goods to a transloading facility, where a shipment is transferred from one mode of transportation to another, such as railcar to truck. This commonly occurs when one mode cannot be used for the entire trip, such as when goods must be shipped internationally from one inland point to another. Transloading facilities provide access to rail and other value-added services without a large capital investment by shippers, who do not need to be located directly on a rail line to access rail service.
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About NNDA: Northern Nevada Development Authority (www.nnda.org) is a Nevada domestic nonprofit corporation, and the state-designated Regional Development Authority for the Sierra Region of Nevada: Carson City (state capital), Douglas County, Lyon County, and Storey County. The region is Nevada’s third largest metropolitan area and encompasses a diverse set of industry sectors such as manufacturing, agriculture, mining, health care, aerospace, logistics, tourism, and many others. Since 201o, NNDA has assisted 100 companies with relocation and expansion, and its economic development efforts have resulted in over $1.4 billion total economic impact for the region.
About Blacklands Railroad: Blacklands Railroad (www.blacklandsrailroad.com) is a privately-owned short line railroad headquartered in Sulphur Springs, Texas which provides freight rail and other value-added services. The company is a multi-year recipient of the Jake Award for Safety awarded by the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association. Black Gold Rail Terminals, a subsidiary, provides transloading and storage terminal services.