OmniTRAX, Indiana port launch Mount Vernon Railroad

OmniTRAX and Ports of Indiana yesterday announced the creation of the Mount Vernon Railroad to serve the southwest Indiana port. 

The new railroad will be operated by OmniTRAX, which was selected from a group of 19 railroads that submitted proposals to manage rail operations at Ports of Indiana-Mount Vernon and provide switching, sorting and various rail services for port customers.

The railroad will coordinate rail connections and assemble outbound trains for interchange with the Mount Vernon-based Evansville Western Railway short line, which provides direct access to BNSF Railway Co., CSX, Norfolk Southern Railway and Union Pacific Railroad, OmniTRAX and port officials said in a press release.

“The communities we serve are important partners to OmniTRAX and our team is excited to begin building long-term relationships in Mount Vernon," said OmniTRAX Chief Commercial Officer Ryan Higgins. "As we serve the Ports of Indiana, port companies, and the community, we are excited to bring new business, new investment and new jobs to Mount Vernon for years to come.”

The Mount Vernon Railroad will operate two 2,000-horsepower model GP38-2 locomotives, built in 1968 by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors. Both locomotives have received major engine overhauls and will get new paint schemes including the Mount Vernon Railroad logo.

In 2023, the port handled 40,000 rail cars and 6.7 million tons of total cargo shipments. Rail-served companies operating at the port include Consolidated Grain and Barge, Valero Renewable Fuels, Nutrien U.S., Nutrien Ag Solutions, Mount Vernon Transfer Terminal, Consolidated Terminals and Logistics Co. and Cimbar Performance Minerals.