Mobile railcar repair company Freedom Railcar Solutions, LLC on April 20, 2016 announced that it has reached an agreement in principle with USA Rail Terminals, LLC to establish a mobile repair and cleaning presence at USA Rail’s 200-acre Port Allen Rail Terminal in Port Allen, La. Freedom’s new location will provide mobile and on-site railcar repair and cleaning services. Freedom’s mobile units will have the ability to serve customers within a 250-mile radius of USA Rail’s Port Allen Terminal. Freedom also will have access to a portion of track at the terminal allowing it to accept to the site railcars in need of repairs, requalification and cleaning.
The Union Pacific Railroad serves USA Rail’s Port Allen Terminal. Currently, the facility is able to hold up to 450 railcars and has the ability expand its capacity to serve 1,200 railcars through development of the property’s unused acreage. Freedom expects its new tank-car-certified repair location to be operational for mobile railcar repair and maintenance by August 2016 and for mobile cleaning by June 2016.
Formed in 2014 by rail industry veterans, Freedom focused its initial efforts on the crude-by-rail market. Freedom has grown into an industry-leading mobile service provider for all railcar owners, shippers, operators and lessees transporting various commodities across the northwestern and southwestern U.S. Freedom’s new Louisiana location expands the company’s service area by bringing its best-in-class services to assist customers along the Gulf Coast.
“We are excited to work with USA Rail Terminals to establish our Gulf Coast presence. We will provide an efficient, solutions-based resource for railcar owners, lessees and fleet management companies who operate in the region,” said Freedom Railcar Solutions Vice President of Business Development Don Walsh. “We also are pleased to bring additional jobs to the people of Port Allen and Baton Rouge, La., on a site that lends itself to a one-stop shop for railcar owners and shippers. By building a strong working partnership with USA Rail Terminals, customers familiar with USA Rail’s transloading, staging and storage expertise at the Port Allen Rail Terminal will experience an increase in capabilities that will create additional value for them.”