OmniTRAX is seeking companies that would be interested in developing commercial facilities at six potential sites along the West Virginia branch of the Winchester & Western Railroad (WW).
OmniTRAX, a short line operator and affiliate of The Broe Group, worked with the Berkeley County Development Authority in West Virginia to identify sites that could be developed as rail-served manufacturing, food and beverage processing, and distribution facilities. The six initial sites are part of OmniTRAX’s rail-ready sites program. They total 795 acres and range from 35 to 500 acre parcels, OmniTRAX said.
“We are off and running with our Rail-Ready Sites program and are thrilled to add these locations in Berkeley County, [West Virginia]. Our team is excited to work with the local experts in Berkeley County to bring new jobs and economic growth to the region,” said Ean Johnson, vice president of economic development at OmniTRAX.
The WW sites are in relative proximity to the greater metropolitan areas of Washington, D.C. and Baltimore. The West Virginia branch has access to WW’s Virginia Division, which has 53 miles of track and moves approximately 12,5000 carloads a year.
The WW interchanges with CSX (NASDAQ: CSX) at Martinsburg, West Virginia; Winchester, Virginia; and Millville, New Jersey. It interchanges with Norfolk Southern (NYSE: NSC) at Hagerstown, Maryland; and Millville.
The WW also operates four lines in New Jersey consisting of 47 miles of track and 8,500 carloads per year.
The announcement comes as short lines describe how investors are continuing to look for infrastructure investments even amid the coronavirus pandemic, according to a FreightWaves sponsored content article.