Watco rail center plan advances in Nevada

Watco Cos. LLC, the Northern Nevada Development Authority and Gateway Commerce Center late last week announced a new intermodal rail center and industrial park will be constructed near Hazen, Nev.

The long-awaited rail center is set to move forward in Lyon and Churchill counties. Watco will partner with the commerce center to build the intermodal facility as part of the 2,000-acre industrial park development, Watco officials said in a press release.

When completed, the intermodal rail center will provide direct rail access for the park's occupants, as well as business throughout northern Nevada.

The Gateway Commerce Center's advantages will include a dual-served mainline rail accessible industrial park located near the junction of Interstate 80, U.S. 50 and U.S. 95, authority officials said in the release. In addition, the site is within a Class 3 Waste Disposal Zoning area, which allows it to host major recyclers and other industrial operations requiring this type of zoning and who are dependent on major rail services. Class 3 Waste Disposal zoning combined with mainline rail is currently available only at two U.S. sites, one in Texas and another in Oklahoma.

"We are excited about the opportunity to partner with Gateway Commerce Center LLC on this important project," said Rob Thrall, Watco's vice president of business development. "The center's ideal geographic location and the business friendly environment of the State of Nevada are a winning combination for the successful marketability of the park, as the development progresses."