A local railroad company is buying 13 acres of land at the former Duquesne Works in Duquesne with the intent of building a facility to handle goods that will go from trains to trucks or vice versa.
Union Railroad Company purchased the parcel at the City Center of Duquesne from the Regional Industrial Development Corporation for $400,000.
According to the RIDC, the company plans to use the land to build a rail-to-truck and truck-to-rail transloading facility.
The venture will help to expand the railroad’s presence at the former steel mill, where it currently owns an existing rail line, said Don Smith, RIDC president.
In an interview, Mr. Smith described the purchase and the plans for the transloading facility as a “very positive development” for Duquesne and McKeesport, one that could help in attracting more business.
“It will be an operational benefit for [Union Railroad] since they will be able to handle more freight and do it more efficiently and for tenants in the park who will now have an easier time getting stuff to rail for shipping purposes,” he said.
As the Mon-Fayette Expressway progresses, the site also could be a center for manufacturers seeking multimodal options to move goods, the RIDC stated.
In a statement, J.W. Burwinkel, Union Railroad senior vice president and chief commercial officer, said the land will “create a 20-acre transload site that will provide optionality for existing and new rail customers.”
Mr. Smith said his understanding is that Union Railroad hopes to have the facility operational within a year or two.
“They already have a familiarity with the site and they have an existing line they own on the site. The availability of the property adjacent to the line in an industrial area seems to be what was attractive about the location,” he noted.
Union Railroad operates 128 miles of track in a 10-mile radius east of Pittsburgh. Services include rail transportation, car storage, and locomotive and car repair. It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Transtar, which is made up of a group of rail carriers that once served steel making facilities.
Mr. Smith called the new facility a “real benefit for the park.” Because the land the railroad company is acquiring is “kind of tucked out of the way, any noise or other things won’t be an issue for neighbors,” he said.
“A lot of positive things are happening in the Mon Valley as growing businesses see opportunities for new facilities on sites that were centers of economic activity in the past,” he added in a statement.
“The Duquesne property, along with other RIDC Mon Valley properties, like Industrial Center of McKeesport, Keystone Commons, and Carrie Furnace, are providing homes to job creating companies that are driving the next generation of growth in our region.”
Mark Belko: mbelko@post-gazette.com
First Published: March 25, 2024, 11:03 p.m.
Updated: March 26, 2024, 2:24 p.m.
