My Take: Delmarva Central makes headway in revitalizing essential rail route

Delmarva Central, a part of Pennsylvania-based Carload Express, acquired the rights to the route from Norfolk Southern, formerly Conrail, about a decade ago.

In gaining the route, the railroad was left with a Norfolk Southern branch line with aging bridges, tracks, and vehicle crossings, stemming from underinvestment by the bankrupt Penn Central and subsequent government ownership by Conrail, followed by Norfolk Southern.

Norfolk Southern and other railroads has since shed branch lines as part of their cost-cutting efforts that have produced strong profits but have led to some critics claiming that the carriers should have done more to improve their systems and reduce delays.

Norfolk Southern is now at work on a merger with Union Pacific that would create a coast-to-coast behemoth.

Fortunately, the focus from a new owner and work by the state's congressional delegation to secure federal funding enabled Delmarva Central to make the necessary upgrades to the route that runs from the Bear area in northern Delaware into Virginia.

 Delmarva Central also made a long-overdue acquisition of the Maryland and Delaware Railroad, which serves portions of the peninsula and was kept afloat by state subsidies. With the acquisition of Maryland and Delaware, Delmarva Central will operate about 300 miles of track.

 While some argue that federal grants shouldn't go to a private business, the upside is that rail shipments take heavy trucks off crowded roads, reduce diesel emissions, and cut shipping costs for essential items like propane, poultry feed, lumber, rock, sand  soybean oil.

The grants, which required a matching investment by Carload Express, helped boost the railroad's investment figure to about $60 million, according to a recent story (paywall) in the Delaware State News.

 Along the way, Delmarva Central has acquired new customers, including a box plant in Dover, although it has seen the end of trains running to the now-shuttered Indian River coal-fired power plant. Delmarva Central officials say their goal is to have a diverse cargo mix and avoid depending too much on one or two customers.

Recently, the state's  Congressional delegation was on hand to mark the ceremonial opening of a rail-friendly industrial park in Harrington. The Kent County railroad town is the operating headquarters for Delmarva Central.

It marked another chapter in a successful effort to upgrade the state's infrastructure, which largely flew under the radar. -  Doug Rainey, chief content officer.