Palmetto Railways restores service on Salkehatchie Sub

Salkehatchie Subdivision reactivation is returning service to a former short line in southwestern South Carolina. The 40-mile route runs through Hampton and Colleton counties and last served customers in 2012.

Two new customers are building facilities along the route. Palmetto Railways has invested more than $3 million in route rehabilitation so far. That work has included bridge improvements, tie replacement, track servicing, and safety equipment upgrades. An additional $6.5 million in infrastructure work is planned over the next two years.

Salkehatchie Subdivision reactivation and line readiness

Meanwhile, the Salkehatchie Sub is a South Carolina short line. It interchanges with CSX at Hampton, S.C. It is now being used for train crew training as maintenance-of-way work continues. Railcar movements are expected to begin later this month, according to Trains News Wire. Palmetto Railways and Colleton County bought the line in 2017. Palmetto has used it for railcar storage since then. Train movements began late in March. Palmetto has also begun a local rail safety awareness campaign. It is working with county leadership, law enforcement, and fire and emergency services.

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New facilities along the Palmetto Railways route

Jennifer Brown is Palmetto’s director of industrial development. In an email, she said Heidelberg Materials has begun development of its facility along the railway. Heidelberg supplies cement, aggregates, ready-mixed concrete, and asphalt. It has more than 450 U.S. locations and about 9,000 employees. In addition, the company announced last year that it would locate on the line. Also, Boise Cascade is a wood products company. It is set to begin construction of a new facility this fall.

The railroad is also working with the South Carolina Department of Commerce and the Colleton County Economic Alliance. It is also working with the Southern Carolina Regional Development Alliance. The goal is to recruit additional clients to rail-served locations. Those sites include the 1,481-acre Colleton Mega Site, an industrial park, and the 457-acre Stokes Tract. The tract is adjacent to Interstate 95 and the railroad. Both are in Walterboro, South Carolina.

Route history and future expansion

The Salkehatchie Subdivision was formerly the Hampton & Branchville Railroad. Operations ceased in 2012. That followed the closure of the South Carolina Electric & Gas Co. (now Dominion Energy) Canadys Station coal-fired power plant.

Separately, Palmetto Railways currently operates four non-contiguous sections of right-of-way in the state. A fifth is expected to be completed this summer. It is a new route. It will connect to Camp Hall Industrial Park and its Volvo assembly plant.

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