Kansas DOT unveils finalists for transload center sites

Garden City and Great Bend, Kan., were selected as finalists for the site of transload centers, the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) announced last week.

Last month, a total of seven cities vied for a chance to develop a transload facility. Representatives from those communities made formal presentations to a site selection committee, which ultimately chose Garden City and Great Bend as the finalists. The Garden City site is served by BNSF Railway Co. and the Great Bend site is served by Watco Cos. LLC's Kansas and Oklahoma Railroad.

The selection team includes state residents working in finance, transportation, agriculture and a slew of other industries. KDOT, the Kansas Turnpike Authority, and the state departments of commerce and agriculture served as advisors to the group.

Over the next several weeks, leaders from the two selected cities will provide business plans and financial models that detail development costs and the projected increase in related rail service. Based on those plans and other relevant details, the state will determine the amount of funding to contribute to the projects.

"I'm confident the cities, state and rail providers will develop a funding package that will allow these projects to move forward," said KDOT Secretary Mike King in a press release. "[Through the proposal process] we learned a great deal about railroad operations, expectations and the potential we have in our state."