Carload Express' Delmarva short line to operate NS line

The Delmarva Central Railroad Co. (DCR) has filed with the U.S. Surface Transportation Board (STB) a plan to lease and operate 162 miles of Norfolk Southern Railway line in Delaware and Maryland.

Pending STB approval, DCR officials hope to begin operations in December. DCR is a subsidiary of Carload Express Inc.

The line runs from near Porter, Del., south to Pocomoke City, Md., and from Harrington, Del., to Frankford, Del., Carload officials said in a press release.

"Carload is ideally positioned to serve Delmarva's agricultural and aggregate industries," said Carload Express Chief Executive Officer Russell Peterson. "The growth of these stable commodities suit our overall corporate growth strategy of carefully selecting stand-alone rail networks with a diversity of freight traffic."

DCR will be managed in Harrington. Freight operations will be based out of Harrington, Seaford and Delmar, Del.

DCR will become the fourth short line operated by Carload. The others are the Allegheny Valley, Southwest Pennsylvania and Ohio Terminal railroads.

Since beginning operations in 1992 with 4,400 annual carloads, Carload Express has grown its traffic over 1,700 percent to nearly 80,000 carloads annually.

Carload recently purchased 17 additional locomotives to support operations and future company expansion, bringing the company's fleet to 46 locomotives.