Long Ridge Railroad acquisition will place part of an Ohio rail line under new ownership, while East Ohio Valley Railway remains the operator. The proposed transaction covers 12.2 miles between Powhatan Point and Hannibal, Ohio, and is now before the Surface Transportation Board.

Long Ridge Railroad acquisition in Ohio advances
Photo: Transtar LLC

Long Ridge Railroad acquisition covers a strategic rail segment

Long Ridge Railroad Co. LLC, or LRRR, is a noncarrier that has filed a verified notice of exemption with the Surface Transportation Board. The filing relates to a rail segment that would be purchased from East Ohio Valley Railway, also known as EOVR, whose full line spans 29 miles in Ohio.

In the Surface Transportation Board notice dated May 29, the transaction is structured so that ownership and daily operation would remain separate. Long Ridge Railroad, a subsidiary of MARA USA Corp., would acquire the 12.2-mile section of the route. EOVR, a Transtar short line, would continue to operate it after the deal is completed. The transaction cannot close before June 12.

Ohio rail line serves industrial customers

The East Ohio Valley Railway profile identifies the route as a 29-mile railroad in Ohio, with an interchange with Norfolk Southern Railway near Wheeling, Ohio, at the northernmost point of the line. That interchange remains part of the East Ohio Valley Railway line.

At the southernmost point, the line provides switching services for Long Ridge Energy Terminal and Hannibal Industrial Park. Under the agreement, LRRR would acquire the portion of EOVR’s route that serves those industrial facilities.