Vermont Railway to serve Ray Energy's new Northeast terminal

Ray Energy Corp. officials last week marked the opening of the company's new propane rail and truck terminal in Hampton, New York.

The 21-acre facility features a 16-spot rail siding — with an operational capacity of 28 spots — and on-demand switching provided by the Vermont Railway.

Other features include a rail-car mover that can offload up to 16 rail cars per day and four 60,000-gallon bulk tanks that provide storage for 240,000 gallons with expansion approved for up to 360,000 gallons. Two dual-sided rail towers with retractable arms can unload two rail cars in three hours, according to a company press release.

"With the increase in propane demand, the Northeast depends on approximately 75 percent of its propane supply from rail, an increase of over 50 percent from a few years ago," said Ray Energy President Ken Ray. "Our location on the border of New York and Vermont was strategically selected to better serve propane marketers in the Northeast."

The truck loading rack has two operational lanes, each with a dedicated pump and loading station designed to reduce wait time. The third truck loading stanchion is expected to be operational by year's end, with expansion for a fourth independently operated truck loading bay planned for 2019, Ray Energy officials said.