Mount Vernon Railroad Launches, Serves Southwest Indiana Port

OmniTRAX was selected in June as the exclusive rail operator for Ports of Indiana-Mount Vernon—the closest major port to the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio rivers—where on Aug. 1 it began providing switching, sorting and other services. This is the fourth domestic port in the OmniTRAX network, which also includes 27 railroads.

The 8.2-mile Mount Vernon Railroad (see map above) coordinates rail connections and assembles outbound trains for interchange with the Evansville Western Railway (see map below), which provides direct access to BNSF, CSX, Norfolk Southern and Union Pacific. It has two 2,000-hp GP38-2s, built in 1968 by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors. Both locomotives received major engine overhauls and will get a new paint scheme, according to Ports of Indiana and OmniTRAX. Each unit will not only feature the Mount Vernon Railroad logo, which includes the maroon and gray colors of the Mount Vernon, Ind., community schools, but also their name. The Ports of Indiana and OmniTRAX have invited students from the three local elementary schools to participate in a naming contest, and said students who submit the winning names will earn a prize for their class, as well as a trip to the port to see the locomotives in action.

“It’s important for us to have a port railroad that pays tribute to our community and further strengthens the connections between our companies and the people who live and work here,” Ports of Indiana CEO Jody Peacock said. “This port has been part of the Mount Vernon community for nearly 50 years, and we are excited to celebrate the launch of the new railroad with the community so everyone can take pride in the new operation when they see these locomotives working around the port.”

“We’re proud to be part of the Mount Vernon community and to celebrate the launch of Mount Vernon Railroad,” said OmniTRAX Chief Commercial Officer Ryan Higgins, who is also an Evansville, Ind., native. “The communities we serve are important partners to OmniTRAX and our team is excited to begin building long-term relationships here in Mount Vernon. As we serve the Ports of Indiana, port companies, and the community, we are excited to bring new business, new investment, and new jobs to Mount Vernon for years to come.”

OmniTRAX is also supporting the master development of approximately 600 acres owned by Ports of Indiana-Mount Vernon, including a 544-acre mega site that is said to represent the largest contiguous greenfield space within Indiana’s three port system. The other port locations are Burns Harbor (on the southern tip of Lake Michigan in Portage) and Jeffersonville (just across from Louisville, Ky., on the Ohio River).

In 2023, the Ports of Indiana handled approximately 40,000 railcars and 6.7 million tons of total cargo shipments. Rail-served companies operating at the port include Consolidated Grain and Barge, Valero Renewable Fuels, Nutrien U.S., Nutrien Ag Solutions, Mount Vernon Transfer Terminal, Consolidated Terminals and Logistics Co., and Cimbar Performance Minerals.

Separately, the Ports of Indiana in August reported that voestalpine Roll Forming Corporation will invest more than $77 million on an expansion project at its rail-served Jeffersonville, Ind., location, and OmniTRAX earlier this month announced that its Great Western Railway of Colorado affiliate recently pilot tested and purchased a new technology aimed at reducing locomotive emissions and fuel consumption.