America’s railroads serve almost every industry sector of our economy advanced manufacturing, retail, and heavy industrial just to name a few. With fuel cost soaring it has become an economical link in our supply chain.
According to the Association of American Railroads our nation’s railroads move one ton of freight 436 miles per gallon of fuel making rail three to four times more efficient than trucks when distributing product and materials. Rail is also environmentally friendly. Every ton-mile of freight that moves by rail instead of truck reduces greenhouse emissions by nearly two thirds or more, and rail can also help reduce traffic and gridlock on our highways. An average train can take the freight equivalent of several hundred trucks off of our interstates.
The Temple Economic Development Corporation is helping find economic solutions for companies supply chain needs. The City of Temple and Patriot Rail Corp. have formed a rail subsidiary, Temple & Central Texas Railway. The exclusive long-term license agreement will provide rail switching and other rail-related services to customers at Central Pointe Rail Park located in Temple, Texas.
Understanding that rail is critical to the success of businesses moving into the future. The City of Temple, together with the Temple Economic Development Corp. (“TEDC”), established the Temple Reinvestment Zone and Temple Enterprise Zone to provide existing and potential Park customers with tax incentives, and land for relocating to Temple.
Central Pointe Rail Park, owned by the City of Temple, is a 3,500-acre industrial park with more than 50 tenants. Strategically located in central Texas midway between Dallas, Houston and San Antonio, the Park has rail service, utilities, developed streets and its own fire station, airport and medical center. Within the Park there are approximately 10 miles of rail line. Because of its strategic location Central Pointe Rail Park has already attracted companies like Wal-Mart, Toyota, Wilson Art, and Performance Food Group. The Temple & Central Texas Railway will interchange traffic with Class I rail carrier Burlington Northern Santa Fe and expects to move more than 6,000 carloads in the first year of operation.
David Blackburn, Temple’s City Manager, said, “We are excited about the relationship with Patriot Rail and the Temple & Central Texas Railroad. As business continues to grow at the Park, there is a significant opportunity to increase the number of customers utilizing Temple Central Texas’s rail service.”
About Temple:
Temple, Texas is a community with a diverse economic base that includes healthcare, distribution and warehousing, and manufacturing as the foundation. Within 180 miles of a population of 17.8 million, Temple is in a strategic location that is central within the southwest U.S. marketplace.