Rail projects to spur growth for Rhode Island short line, port
7/22/2024
By Jeff Stagl, Managing Editor
Three rail infrastructure upgrades completed over the past two years figure to factor heavily into traffic-growth prospects for a port, short line and business park developer in North Kingstown, Rhode Island.
In mid-July, officials from the Port of Davisville, Seaview Railroad and Quonset Development Corp. (QDC) held an event to mark the following finished projects in the Quonset Business Park: a new engine house that was completed this month, a rail yard that was capped off in July 2022 and connector track that opened in December 2023.
Located within the business park and near the mouth of Narragansett Bay, the Port of Davisville operates five terminals and is one of the nation’s top 10 automobile importers.
Developed and managed by QDC — a quasi-state agency established as a special-purpose subsidiary of the Rhode Island Commerce Corp. — the more than 3,000-acre business park is home to 239 companies.
A 14-mile connector line completed in late 2023 provides direct access between the Davisville mainline and Mill Creek yard, which was built two years ago. Seaview RailroadThe 15-mile Seaview Railroad serves the business park and port. The railroad handles such commodities as steel plate, scrap steel, rebar, lumber, plastics, food, bulk petroleum, construction and debris materials, dimensional loads and railroad equipment.
The short line connects with all major railroads in New England: Canadian Pacific Kansas City, CN, CSX, Norfolk Southern Railway, the New England Central Railroad, New Brunswick Southern Railway, Amtrak and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.
The three completed projects are expected to enhance rail capacity in the park and increase the flexibility of Seaview Railroad’s operations.
“These infrastructure upgrades will allow us to keep up with demand at Quonset Business Park and create a more efficient transportation network for our customers,” said Eric Moffett, president of the Seaview Transportation Co., in an email.
The new engine house will enable the short line to repair and store rail cars. Construction on the $4.3 million facility began in September 2022. QDC paid for the project with its operating revenue funds, said Moffett.
“Seaview will be contributing to an office building to be built on the same site,” he said.
The 14-mile connector line that was completed in late 2023 provides direct access between the Davisville mainline and Mill Creek yard, which was built two years ago to reduce rail transit time in the business park. Work on the $1.15 million line was launched in October 2022.
Meanwhile, Mill Creek yard features six turnouts and additional storage for up to 58 cars on two parallel sidings. The $3.55 million facility was constructed between September 2020 and July 2022.
The 15-mile short line handles such commodities as scrap steel, rebar, lumber, plastics, food, bulk petroleum, construction materials and railroad equipment. Seaview RailroadThe yard and connector were jointly funded by a $3 million Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements Program grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation. QDR provided $1.7 million in matching funds for the two projects, said Moffett.
In 2023, Seaview Railroad broke its annual volume record by hauling 7,513 rail cars. The short line — and the bolstered rail infrastructure — better position the park’s tenants to grow and create jobs, QDC Managing Director Steven J. King believes.
“Multimodal infrastructure investments like these for air, land, sea and rail are critical to Quonset’s success,” he said.
