Proposed ethanol plant could fuel Pennsylvania short line's annual carloads (2/9/2005)

An ethanol producer plans to build a plant in the Cumberland Valley Business Park in Chambersburg, Pa., that would be served by the year-old Pennsylvania & Southern Railway L.L.C. (PSCC).

Penn-Mar Ethanol L.L.C. recently reached an agreement with the Letterkenny Industrial Development Authority to purchase a 55-acre site in the 1,600-acre park. Pending various state and local approvals, construction on the plant — which would be designed to produce about 60 million gallons of ethanol annually &3151; will start in late summer and conclude at 2006's end.

The facility would generate more than 4,000 carloads annually for the short line, says Eyal Shapira, president of the 25-mile PSCC, as well as the 16-mile Raritan Central Railway L.L.C. and five-mile New Jersey & Northern Railway L.L.C.

In February 2004, PSCC began operating lines formerly owned by Beth Intermodal. The short line serves the industrial park and Letterkenny Army Depot in Chambersburg, where it interchanges with CSX Transportation.

— Jeff Stagl

Source: Progressive Railroading Daily News