CP extends reach into Ohio Valley via Bluegrass Farms intermodal facility

Canadian Pacific announced yesterday a new partnership with Genesee & Wyoming Inc.  and Bluegrass Farms of Ohio that enables the Class I to serve customers in the Ohio Valley region. 

Under the agreement, CP has obtained an exclusive agreement with Bluegrass Farms to use the consortium's 90-acre intermodal facility in Jeffersonville, Ohio. Bluegrass Farms will continue to own the facility and operate it on behalf of CP. The Class I and G&W have agreed to provide rail service to the facility through G&W's Indiana & Ohio Railway (IORY) line.

The arrangement will open the Ohio Valley to CP customers and further extend the Class I's reach into key North American markets, CP officials said in a press release.

"This service allows our international intermodal customers to come through the Port of Vancouver and access markets deep in the Ohio Valley," said CP President and Chief Executive Officer Keith Creel. "The unique site also creates better round trip economics for our customers by enabling the empty containers to be re-loaded with agriculture products and shipped back overseas."

The site offers CP and G&W a ready-made intermodal facility that is able to accommodate intermodal and bulk shipments, along with the ability to provide transloading services of bulk agricultural products into containers. The site also offers secure storage for containers and trailers, the companies said.

"Our partnership with Canadian Pacific is an excellent example of how short line railroads can extend the reach of the Class I network," said G&W Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer Jack Hellmann. "This intermodal terminal not only offers a new rail option to and from the Ohio Valley, but was purpose built to provide backhaul opportunities that will enable customers to reduce overall transportation costs and enhance their competitive advantage." 

CP also is expanding its sales and marketing presence in Asia, with key positions being added in China and Singapore.

"We are putting more dots on the map, expanding our reach and working with current and potential customers to sustainably grow our business and theirs," Creel said.