Tarantula Corporation
Tarantula Corporation on Aug. 7 reported acquiring all Texas Central Railroad (TEXC) stock from Birdsong Corporation, after more than two years of strategic planning and negotiations. The purchase was finalized June 30, 2024. TEXC is a separate and distinct entity from Texas Central Partners, LLC, which has proposed construction of a high-speed passenger rail between Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston, Tex.
“Railroad construction in Texas was halted by the Civil War and the economic downturn of the early 1870s but resumed in the late 1870s and early 1880s,” Tarantula Corporation reported as background to the acquisition. “During this period, the Texas Central Railroad [TEXC] was founded in 1879. In its early days, the railroad played a crucial role in connecting key communities throughout the burgeoning region of West Central Texas. It became a vital component of local economies, leading to the founding of towns like De Leon in April 1881, and quickly became a major shipping route for agricultural products such as cotton and peanuts. Today, the railroad spans over 26 miles, providing an essential link to the FWWR [Fort Worth & Western Railroad Company] main line in the city of Dublin. Overall, the TEXC connects FWWR to the three counties it crosses, serving the towns of Dublin, De Leon, and Gorman.”
FWWR, since Dec. 11, 1998, has leased and operated TEXC, reported Tarantula Corporation, which noted that the acquisition allows FWWR to transition to owner. FWWR can now “make substantial investments in the railroad’s maintenance and infrastructure, thereby enhancing operational efficiency and service capabilities for existing customers,” according to Tarantula Corporation. Improved system infrastructure, it noted, will also support the development of rail-served and other sites along the line. FWWR interchanges with Union Pacific, BNSF and Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) in Fort Worth, as well as with Texas Pacifico at San Angelo Junction.
“We would like to thank the Birdsong Corporation for its support and responsiveness throughout the negotiation,” said Kevin Erasmus, President and CEO of Davoil, Inc. and FWWR. “FWWR is excited about the expansion and improvement opportunities this acquisition offers. Acquiring the TEXC supports the region’s long-term growth and business development while aligning with FWWR’s vision for the future.”
For more details on the acquisition, download the STB report in the June 5, 2024, edition of the Federal Register:
G&W
G&W earlier this month reported via LinkedIn the anniversaries of subsidiaries NECR and RCPE.
NECR, Railway Age’s 1995 Short Line of the Year, has celebrated 30 years of service to its customers in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont. Spanning 384 miles, the short line interchanges with four Class I’s: CN (at East Alburgh, Vt.); CPKC (at Burlington, Vt., and Bellows Falls, Vt.); CSX (at Palmer, Mass.); and Norfolk Southern (at Brattleboro, Vt., and Millers Falls, Mass.).
In commemoration of its 10th anniversary, RCPE recently made donations to the South Dakota Ag Foundation and the South Dakota State Railroad Museum. The 743-mile railroad runs in Minnesota (43 miles), Nebraska (13 miles), South Dakota (679 miles) and Wyoming (seven miles). It interchanges with BNSF (at Wolsey, S.D.; Crawford, Neb.; and Florence, Minn.); CPKC (at Tracy, Minn.); and Union Pacific (at Mankato, Minn.).
Commented RCPE General Manager Ryan Englebright: “These contributions are a way for RCPE to give back—a thank you of sorts to the communities and customers along our line for entrusting us to operate safely and provide the critical freight transportation service they depend on. The State Railroad Museum has done a terrific job preserving and conveying the history of railroads in our state. And with agriculture representing the lion’s share of our business across the state, RCPE appreciates the South Dakota Ag Foundation’s commitment to developing the next generation of agricultural leaders in the state.”
In other G&W news, Michael Miller, CEO of North American Operations, will be a speaker at the 2024 Railway Age / RT&S Women in Rail Conference, to be held Nov. 5-6 in Chicago. Part of the Passenger and Freight Rail Technology and Innovation panel, he will address the role autonomous battery-electric rail vehicles will play in the freight industry. Also, Cathcart on June 24 reported being selected by Central Oregon & Pacific, a G&W subsidiary, to provide railcar inspection and repair services across the 362-mile railroad’s major yards in Roseburg, Cottage Grove, and Medford, Ore.
