USA: Regional Rail has acquired Massachusetts Central Railroad and Wildwood Reload, adding a 28-mile Massachusetts freight operation while expanding its North American network to 18 railroads.

Freight cars and multiple railway tracks at Palmer Yard in Massachusetts.
Freight cars in Palmer Yard, Massachusetts. Illustrative image; it does not depict the acquisition. Photo: 4300streetcar / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0.

Deal includes rail and logistics operations

Regional Rail’s August 3 acquisition announcement identifies Massachusetts Central as a short line running between Palmer and South Barre. The railroad provides freight-hauling, car-storage and transloading services, with customers in markets including waste, chemicals and plastics, and lumber.

The purchase also includes Wildwood Reload, which supplies warehousing and transloading services to industrial customers in the region. The announcement did not disclose the transaction value.

Massachusetts Central interchanges at Palmer with CSX and the New England Central Railroad. The two interchange connections link the short line’s local freight operation with other rail networks.

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Regulatory filing preceded the closing

A Surface Transportation Board notice published on June 17 described the plan as an acquisition of all issued and outstanding Massachusetts Central shares. It classified the operator as a Class III rail carrier and said no Class I railroad was involved in the transaction.

The regulatory exemption became effective on July 1, the earliest date on which the acquisition could be completed. Regional Rail’s August 3 announcement confirmed that the transaction had closed.

Regional Rail reaches 18 railroads

The acquisition takes Regional Rail’s portfolio to 18 freight railroads across 10 U.S. states and two Canadian provinces. The company and its private-equity backer, 3i, have expanded the group from three railroads since they began working together in July 2019.

Beyond rail transport, car storage and transloading, the group offers crossing-signal design, construction, inspection and maintenance through its Diamondback Signal subsidiary. Regional Rail said it intends to support existing customers and pursue service expansion opportunities, although the announcement specified no investment program or operating changes for Massachusetts Central.

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