TXNW Locomotive. Photo: courtesy of TNW Corporation.
Texas, Gonzales and Northern Railway (TXGN) and Texas North Western Railway Company (TXNW) have received grants from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to improve their rail lines. TXGN and TXNW are subsidiaries of TNW Corporation, a transportation logistics company that operates three short line railroads.
TXGN received a grant of more than $220,000 to improve track and facilities at its interchange point in Harwood, Texas. The project includes improving approximately 9,000 feet of track in the railyard at an interchange with the Union Pacific’s Glidden Subdivision, building new track siding, improvements in switching technology, replacing two wood trestle bridges with concrete culverts, and rehabilitating two road access points. TXGN is matching the grant with $220,000 in private funding.
“We can improve our operations and service processes, which means a more efficient transportation network that allows us to handle longer trains with shorter service cycles,” said TNW CEO Paul Treangen. “Additional benefits from these improvements include better employee safety, more local business and jobs, an increased general tax base, and, in the long run, a better quality of life in Gonzales County. It will take some time to complete the grant process, but we are excited to push this project forward,” added Treangen.
TXNW has received a grant of up to $4.1 million to reconfigure and improve its interchange facility in Sunray, Texas. The Etter Interchange Improvement Project creates a new interchange by combining two adjacent four-track yards in TXNW’s Fisher Yard Complex, into a single yard that is capable of servicing larger trains for its customers and interchange partner, BNSF Railway. TXNW will match the grant with more than $4.1 million in private funding.
“The investment will significantly increase our ability to handle longer trains, improve cycle times, and enhance customer service,” stated Treangen. “This will lead to a better, safer, overall transportation network to support more jobs and increased general tax base not just for Sunray, but for all of Moore County. It will take some time to complete the grant process, but we are excited to push this project forward.”