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WESTCO Rail Development Plan
Five Year Outlook
T
he West Central Ohio Port Authority
has developed a plan to serve as a
guide for the future of the WESTCO
rail system over the next five years. The
plan identifies current and future system
needs and makes recommendations to
encourage ongoing rail investments and
continued use and expansion by
WESTCO’s customers.
West Central Ohio Port Authority Rail Development Plan 1
WESTCO Port Authority Rail System
The West Central Ohio Port Authority has a robust rail system that provides the
movement of diverse freight products. The rail system is an important component
to the region and will continue to serve the area to enhance and improve the
region’s economy and agronomy.
The Origins of WESTCO
The West Central Ohio Port Authority (WESTCO) was created by the Boards of County Commissioners of
Champaign, Clark, and Fayette counties pursuant to Chapter 4582 of the Ohio Revised Code for the public
purpose of preserving railroad assets and providing for the continued operation of rail freight services.
WESTCO has a board of seven directors. The directors are appointed by agreement among the participating
counties. The board is responsible for the governing of the port authority pursuant to the Ohio Revised Code
and the board's adopted rules and regulations. The secretary/treasurer is the point of contact for the board.
WESTCO Rail Service
WESTCO owns 94 miles of railroad track in Champaign, Clark, Fayette, Logan, and Madison counties.
WESTCO has leased the tracks to the Indiana & Ohio Railway Company (IORY). The IORY is a regional
railroad based in Cincinnati, with both owned and leased track in Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan. The IORY is a
unit of Rail America, Inc., a railroad holding company. A system map and a roster of track miles on the
various lines and their lengths, by county, are shown on pages 8-9. The three main lines were acquired from
the Grand Trunk Western Railroad (3 transactions) and Conrail (2 transactions). The IORY can interchange
rail traffic originating or terminating on WESTCO lines at the following locations:
Class I Railroads: Other Railroads:
Canadian National at Cincinnati and Flat Rock, MI Ann Arbor Railroad at Diann, MI
CSXT at Cincinnati, Lima, Middletown and Adrian and Blissfield Railroad at Riga, MI
Hamler RJ Corman Railroad at Lima
Norfolk Southern at Lima, Springfield, Cincinnati Wheeling Lake Erie Railroad at Lima
and Monroe
WESTCO Rail Freight Services In:
Western Railroads at Chicago through the
Chicago, Ft. Wayne, & Eastern Railroad (CFER) Bellefontaine Springfield
Sister Railroads: Jeffersonville Urbana
CFER at Lima and with interchange at Chicago, IL Mechanicsburg Washington C. H.
Central Railroad Company of Indiana (CIND) at
South Charleston West Liberty
Valley Junction, OH
Indiana Southern Railroad through CIND South Solon
West Central Ohio Port Authority Rail Development Plan 2
WESTCO Freight Transport and Service
The West Central Ohio Port Authority has three main lines: the Urbana Line (from Springfield to
Bellefontaine), the Mechanicsburg Line (from Springfield to Mechanicsburg), and the South Charleston Line
(from Springfield to Washington Court House). These three tracks comprise our 94 miles of railroad across
five counties: Logan, Champaign, Clark, Madison, and Fayette.
What does WESTCO Ship?
WESTCO primarily deals with
Annual Carloads
7,615
7,591
7,158
7,108
6,650
agriculture related items, with about
6,212
6,003
5,871
5,833
8,000
5,545
5,505
90% of its carloads comprised of
5,230
7,000
4,742
corn, soybean and fertilizer. 6,000
Carloads
Because of this, the amount of 5,000
4,000
carloads per year varies depending
3,000
on the harvest yield for each year. 2,000
In addition to the agricultural 1,000
products, WESTCO also ships salt, 0
plastic, and some manufacturing 1999 - 2011
items. While most of our carloads are supported by agronomy, WESTCO does possess the capabilities to
transport any commodity that can be transported by rail.
Benefits of Shipping by WESTCO Rail
Connectivity through the IORY Access to two designated mega Most environmentally friendly
to transport goods across the sites (more information on and fuel efficient way to
United States and Canada page 7) transport bulk commodities
More economical to ship bulk Ability to utilize double stack One train can transport the
products by rail than by container shipments for added equivalent of over 250 trucks
trucking efficiency
WESTCO Customers by Line
South Charleston Line Urbana Line
Keynes Bros. Heritage Cooperative
Trupointe Grain (Urbana)
Trupointe Fertilizer Hub Heritage Cooperative (West
Bluegrass Farms Liberty)
Damewood Enterprises
Mechanicsburg Line International Fiber Sales
Heritage Cooperative Orbis
(Mechanicsburg) Phares Pumps
Tech II
West Central Ohio Port Authority Rail Development Plan 3
WESTCO Past Rail Investment
The graph below shows the ratio between the revenue received by WESTCO through our operating funds
against the investments made. The investment made by WESTCO on the track over the last 5 years far
outweighs the operating funds received. Since 2007, WESTCO has invested over $4.6 million into various
track and bridge rehabilitation projects, while only receiving just over $2.3 million in revenues. We are able to
bridge the gap by applying and receiving grants and loans to complete larger projects through various state and
federal programs. WESTCO always seeks to maintain the Class II track standards, which enables freight to be
transported at speeds from 25-40 miles per hour. This is achieved through planning for future rehabilitation as
well as being prepared to respond to emergencies as they arise.
Major Rehab Projects Completed Since 2007
Bridge #115.99 over US36
Bridge #224.7 over Sugar Creek
Bridge #222.2 over Sugar Creek
South Charleston Line Slow Order Project
ARRA Bridge Rehabilitation Project
ARRA Track Rehabilitation Project
South Charleston Line Rehab Phase 1 and 2
WESTCO Future Rail Investment
WESTCO has coordinated with the IORY and HDR Engineering, our rail service provider, to develop a list of
priority projects to address over the next 5 years. While WESTCO has made significant contributions to
maintain a level of service in the past, they seek to provide an increased level of service in the future to better
serve the WESTCO customers. A detailed breakdown of each project is provided on the next page.
Option A Option B
Option A is what WESTCO plans to accomplish Option B is what WESTCO plans to accomplish
over the next 5 years based on receiving no over the next 5 years in addition to the
additional federal or state assistance. Based $400,000-$500,000 that we will spend on
on budgetary estimations, WESTCO plans to maintenance of the rail. WESTCO staff has
contribute $400,000-$500,000 per year to the been very successful in obtaining federal and
continued maintenance of the rail. The money state grants and plans to be aggressive in
generated through maintenance and use fees seeking additional funding for the continued
through the current customers of the rail and the maintenance of the rail in order to operate at
IORY will provide for the rehabilitation efforts. Class II speeds.
West Central Ohio Port Authority Rail Development Plan 4
WESTCO FY2012 Rail Investment Option A - $1,052,000
WESTCO staff applied for and received a 100% safety grant for $567,000 through the Transportation
Improvement Program to install active signalized gates and flashers at three crossings in Clark County:
Mound Street, Willow Avenue, and Columbus-Xenia Road. This improvement project will allow for every
WESTCO owned crossing in Clark County to have active signalized gates and flashers except for the crossing
on First Street which only has active warning lights.
WESTCO also plans to rehabilitate 7 miles of track on the South Charleston Line from M.P. 230 - 223. The
South Charleston Line is the most used line due to the overhead traffic from the IORY and it is primarily used
to transport all of the goods from the Urbana and Mechanicsburg lines out of the region. The project will
replace approximately 725 crossties per mile of the project area as well as provide for the needed ballast,
anchors and resurfacing.
WESTCO FY2012 - FY2014 Rail Investment Option B - $623,550
In addition to Option A’s investment of $1,052,000 in FY2012, staff will also seek an additional grant to
match the investment being made on the South Charleston Line by seeking a grant for the rehabilitation of an
additional 3.5 miles of track to the above project each year until completion. The grants would cover the
rehabilitation of M.P. 223 - M.P. 219.5, M.P. 216 - M.P. 212.5, and M.P. 209 - M.P. 205.5 and replace
7,613 crossties of the 10.5 mile area and provide for the needed ballast, anchors and resurfacing.
WESTCO FY2013 Rail Investment Option A - $485,000
WESTCO will rehabilitate another 7 mile stretch of the South Charleston Line from M.P. 223 - M.P. 216 in
their effort to upgrade the entire line and maintain Class II standards allowing freight to be moved at 25-40
mph. The rehabilitation will include the replacement of 5,075 crossties as well as the placement of 2,100 tons
of ballast. Both the FY2012 and the FY2013 rehabilitation projects will serve the Bluegrass Farms mega-site
in Jeffersonville. If the FY2012 grant is received, WESTCO will begin the project at M.P. 219.5 and
rehabilitate the next 7 miles.
West Central Ohio Port Authority Rail Development Plan 5
WESTCO FY2014 Rail Investment Option A - $485,000
By FY2014, WESTCO will be halfway complete with the rehabilitation of the South Charleston Line and it
will continue the efforts in 2014 with another 7 miles of work. The project area will cover M.P. 216 - 209 and
replace approximately 725 crossties per mile and furnish and place the needed ballast and rail anchors. If
either of the Option B grants have been received, the project area would shift to the appropriate mileage.
WESTCO FY2015 Rail Investment Option A - $485,000
If WESTCO has not received any of the proposed Option B grants, it will continue to rehabilitate the South
Charleston Line. The FY2015 rail investment would be the final installment in the rehabilitation and would
cover from M.P. 209 - M.P. 202 (Springfield Yard) and would replace 5,075 crossties over the 7 mile project
area and place the needed ballast.
WESTCO FY2015 Rail Investment Option B - $727,000
With the South Charleston rehabilitation project being complete, WESTCO will now direct their attention to
the improvement of the Urbana Line from Glen Echo (M.P. 124) through West Liberty (M.P. 104). Staff will
apply for a grant for the first 2.5 miles of rail rehabilitation beginning at M.P. 124 and ending in Champaign
County at M.P. 121.5 and will replace approximately 1,000 ties per mile.
WESTCO FY2016 Rail Investment Option A - $484,000
There is currently a slow order on the Urbana Line from Glen
Echo north to Bellefontaine. Over the next four years,
WESTCO will seek to rehabilitate the line to bring the speeds
up from 10 mph to 25-40 mph from Glen Echo to West Liberty.
In FY2016, WESTCO will rehabilitate M.P. 124 - M.P. 119
replacing 5,000 crossties over the 5 mile stretch and furnish and
place 1,500 tons of ballast and the needed rail anchors.
WESTCO FY2016 Rail Investment Option B - $726,000
In addition to the planned 5 mile rehabilitation efforts, staff will seek a matching grant for an additional 2.5
miles of rehabilitation from M.P. 119 - 116.5. The project will replace 2,500 cross ties and furnish and place
the needed ballast and rail anchors. WESTCO will continue to seek funding for the rehabilitation of the
Urbana Line through FY2019.
West Central Ohio Port Authority Rail Development Plan 6
WESTCO Planned and Future Rehabilitation By Line
202 209 216 223 230
South Charleston Line
M.P. 202 - 230 FY2015 FY2014 FY2013 FY2012
104 109 114 119 124
Urbana Line
M.P. 104 - 124 FY2019 FY2018 FY2017 FY2016
1 6 12 17
Mechanicsburg Line
M.P. 1 - 17 FY2020 FY2021 FY2022
WESTCO Bridges
The West Central Ohio Port Authority owns 48 bridges across the 5 county area. Through the ARRA Bridge
Rehabilitation project that was completed in 2010, WESTCO was able to remove all priority 1 and 2 repairs
from the line by repairing structural deficiencies on 13 bridges on the Urbana and Mechanicsburg Lines.
There is no planned bridge rehabilitation at this time, because all bridges are in Priorities 3-5. Priority 3
dictates that the bridge condition could become unsafe and should be monitored by railroad personnel
frequently. Priority 4 dictates that the condition is substandard and should be monitored, and Priority 5
dictates that either no defects or only minor defects were found.
Osmose Construction provides the Annual Bridge Engineering Report to WESTCO which enables us to assess
the bridges and our needs for rehabilitation. If an emergency repair was needed, WESTCO is
financially prepared to make the necessary improvements.
WESTCO Crossings
The West Central Ohio Port Authority owns 63 crossings over the 94 miles of track they own. WESTCO has
been proactive in installing active warning devices to ensure the safety of motorists when encountering a
railroad crossing. In Champaign County, 12 of the 21 crossings have
active warning devices, in Clark County, 18 of the 21 crossings have
active warning devices (all 21 crossings will have active warning
devices by the end of 2012), in Madison County, both crossings have
gates and flashers, in Fayette County, 3 of the 12 crossings have active
warning devices and in Logan County, 0 of the 8 crossings are
signalized.
In addition to the signalized crossings, WESTCO, per the Transportation
Equity Act for the 21st Century, the Federal Aid Highway Safety Act of
1973, and the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation
Equity Act - A Legacy for Users is changing all the non-active warning
devices at WESTCO Crossings to provide increased safety.
West Central Ohio Port Authority Rail Development Plan 7
Central Ohio Logistics Center and Job Ready Mega Site
There is nearly 2,600 acres of manufacturing land available at the Central Ohio Logistics Center in
Jeffersonville. The site is surrounded by access, with two spurs providing train access, as well as having an
immense amount of roadway access through Interstate 71, U.S. Route 35, State Route 41 and State Route 729.
Bluegrass Farms of Ohio
is currently the only
US SR
occupant of the site, but Ro 41
ute
W
ES
35 Interstate 71
through state funding,
TC
O
Ready
Ra
over $12.5 million has Ohio Job ite hio
Central O ter
il
M e ga-S C en
been invested in the site Logistics
to make it ready for
manufacturing and
employment. The site is
32 miles from Columbus
and 52 miles from
Cincinnati and is a prime location for a mega manufacturer to locate due to the benefits of the rail access,
roadways and the other infrastructure that has been invested into the site.
Champion City Business Park
The Champion City Business Park in Springfield
totals 62 acres, 26 acres on the northern parcel, and
26 Acres 36 acres on the southern parcel, with both having
Belmont Ave.
the potential for rail accessibility through the West
Central Ohio Port Authority. The site has received
over $4.9 million of public funding to clean and
. develop the site to be ready for business. The site is
A ve 36 Acres
nd
a currently equipped with water, sewer, storm sewer,
go
La il electric, gas, and telecom. The Champion City
Ra
CO Business Park is owned by the City of Springfield
EST
W and is capable of having multiple spurs into either
parcel making it possible for small or large
ail
IORY R
manufacturing.
Other Sites Available
There are many locations along the WESTCO mainlines that are prime for development and are well suited for
small to large manufacturing. In addition to the land available along the mainlines, WESTCO lines run along
several major roadways including: Interstate 70, Interstate 71, U.S. Route 35, U.S. Route 36, U.S. Route 40,
U.S. Route 68, State Route 4, and State Route 41. If you have any property inquiries, please feel free to
contact the Secretary-Treasurer, Zachary Balassone at 937-521-2136 or zbalassone@clarkcountyohio.gov
West Central Ohio Port Authority Rail Development Plan 8
West Central Ohio Port Authority Rail Development Plan
WESTCO Board of Directors
Gordon Conn ● Gerald Damewood ● Richard Flax ● Richard Henry
Betty Mowrey ● Dale Ritenour ● Alan Thompson
WESTCO Secretary - Treasurer
Zachary Balassone
zbalassone@clarkcountyohio.gov
West Central Ohio Port Authority
3130 East Main Street - Suite 2B
Springfield, Ohio 45505
937-521-2136
www.westcopa.orgYou can also read
