County Line Rail (CLR) has announced Gulf Coast Rail Gateway. The 350-acre greenfield industrial rail facility is between Sinton and Odem in Texas. This is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

CLR Launches 350-Acre Gulf Coast Rail Gateway to Handle Up to 3,000 Freight Cars
Photo: County Line Rail. CLR Launches 350-Acre Gulf Coast Rail Gateway to Handle Up to 3,000 Freight Cars

According to County Line Rail’s announcement, the site is on Union Pacific Railroad’s Brownsville subdivision. It sits within the Gulf Coast industrial corridor. Also, the company said the facility is served by both Union Pacific and BNSF Railway.

Rail links and site capacity

The development-ready property has an initial capacity of about 500 rail cars. CLR plans to expand that figure to as many as 3,000 cars. In addition, the rail infrastructure includes train staging, transloading, rail-car cleaning and locomotive maintenance. A full loop-track layout supports staging operations.

CLR said the Sinton-Odem location was selected for proximity to plastics and petrochemical manufacturers. According to the company, Union Pacific spurs already connect to several major producers. Those producers are in the area.

Texas Gulf Coast freight connections

The Gulf Coast Rail Gateway can also serve as a pre-gateway staging point. The role applies to freight bound for Mexico through Laredo and Brownsville. Eagle Pass routing is available through San Antonio.

“The Gulf Coast industrial corridor has needed this for a long time,” said CLR Chief Commercial Officer Bryan Boaz. “We are building this facility because the network has a gap — shippers need more flexibility and railroads need a place to stage.”

CLR is privately held. It is a short line and industrial rail development company. The company has four operations across the Texas Gulf Coast region. Its other operations include County Line Industrial Park in Mont Belvieu. They also include the Sabine River and Northern Railroad in the Golden Triangle. CLR also operates a rail-served industrial site in Silsbee.

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