G&W acquires Heart of Georgia Railroad

Genesee & Wyoming Inc. (G&W) announced yesterday it has completed its acquisition of Atlantic Western Transportation Inc., the parent of Heart of Georgia Railroad Inc. (HOG).

Founded in 1999, HOG operates across Georgia on 219 miles of track leased from the Georgia Department of Transportation. The railroad connects with G&W's Georgia Southwestern Railroad at Americus, Ga., and with G&W's Georgia Central Railway at Vidalia, Ga., according to a G&W press release.

HOG also has connections with CSX at Cordele and with Norfolk Southern Railway at Americus and Helena, Ga.

The railroad transports 10,000 annual carloads of agricultural products, feed, fertilizer, and lumber and forest products, of which 2,000 carloads are interchanged with G&W's Georgia Central Railway.

HOG will be managed as one of G&W's Coastal Region railroads, led by Senior Vice President Andy Chunko.

Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

G&W in February announced its plan to acquire HOG.