Georgia Central buying remainder of CSX trackage

Georgia Central (GC) is now in the process of buying the track between Macon and East Dublin in Central Georgia.
GC was leasing this section from CSX and are now moving forward to purchase it outright. GC already owns it track between Savannah and East Dublin and serves many shippers along the line.

This a good move for them to be buying more of their trackage instead of leasing. It's a good sign that they are doing well. Hopefully will hopefully become a new trend in the shortline biz.

By the way, CGR was delt a blow last year when the plans for that Chrysler plant got scrubed in Savannah. The site was right on their line off I-95. Hopefully state officials can lure another car maker to the prime site in the future.

Check the STB page to view the official filing:

Regarding the purchase of leased CSX trackage between Macon and East Dublin, it makes lot of sense to acquire the railroad structure, if it is for sale.

I was in Macon several weeks ago, and saw a GC train pull into the GC's Macon Yard. The entire consist was made up of kaolin-related rail traffic, which was approximately 30 cars. Nothing else! All of the train's consist was generated between Macon and Dublin!

I also visited the Dublin - East Dublin area, and was surprised about 2 things: how much new industry has located in the Dublin area; and how little of it uses rail transport! And, this assessment is based on the types of industry that would be expected to use rail transport, but for some reason, haven't!

I also couldn't help but notice all of the abandoned downtown warehouse industrial tracks in Dublin that have been left generally intact. A great place for railroad archaeology studies!

I assume that the CSX owns the joint-use bridge across the Ocmulgee River between Dublin and East Dublin, since GC wants to buy the line. Is this correct?

ACLfan

ACLfan wrote:I assume that the CSX owns the joint-use bridge across the Ocmulgee River between Dublin and East Dublin, since GC wants to buy the line. Is this correct?ACLfan

Good question, but I'm not sure. I would assume the ownership limits would be the East Dublin junction (where the NS line splits off to the north to Tennille, GA) making the bridge still CSX.
However, I got to high-rail that line between Tennille and Dublin a couple years ago. And the NS rep said that actually NS still has trackage rights across that bridge and can serve customers in Dublin.
But the track between East Dublin Jct and Wrightsville is in pretty bad shape so they don't bother serving those customers in Dublin. The cost to run a crew down from the Tennille Yard and to rehab the track isn't worth it. The Sandersville Railroad keeps NS happy up there in Tennille. So they let GC get those through some deal.
You are right there are a ton of tracks in the area on both sides of the river. Most businesses along the tracks in Dublin (or anywhere) keep the rail in place to keep their trucking rates down.

That's an interesting thing about NS letting GC have the customers in the Dublin area! [not that there are a lot of customers!] I noticed that all of the freight car set-outs in Dublin were on the NS line, with none on the GC line!

Interestingly enough, I noticed that, based on visual appearances, the NS line had some recent use activity. Guess it could have been the GC doing some running out northeast of East Dublin to some customer up the NS line toward Wrightsville.

Yeah, regarding the amount of abandoned rail left in place, I gotta give the Dublin area a blue ribbon for the large amount of left-in-place rail! Also, it's a ferro equine archaeologist's "promised land" for the amount and types of other antique structures that are still left in place!

ACLfan

The GC website lists the following customers in the Dublin area:
East Dublin, GA
SP Newsprint Co.
Griffin Industries

Dublin, GA
Dublin Construction
Roche Farm Center

West Dublin, GA
Southern States

So NS has quit serving the Dublin almost completely? How do they interchange with GC?

ashley2771 wrote:So NS has quit serving the Dublin almost completely? How do they interchange with GC?

They quit serving Dublin awhile back. They still have trackage rights apparently into Dublin, but they do not use them. Through an agreement GC serves all of Dublin, even on NS trackage. GC serves a couple customers up the NS line towards Tennille in East Dublin.
Remember a lot of GC traffic goes up to Macon to NS anyway, so they aren't really missing out awhole lot. The cost to rehab the track and maintain it is high. Also the cost to run crews down to serve smaller customers is high and it's not really worth the business of the Class I's anymore. They let the shortlines handle the smaller stuff since they can operate it much cheaper. Plus they (NS or CSX) get the traffic anyway since the carloads usually has to go on a Class I at some point to get from A to B.
Anyway, basically the line from Tennile down to Dublin is unused. It has been a potential target for abandonment, but something tells me NS doesn't want Sandersville to have any chance to gain access to another railroad (especially one that can reach CSX).
There was one NS customer in Wrightsville, but they only shipped a few cars a year (as of 2003). NS did some rehab down to that customer, but the line south of Wrightsville is in not so good shape.

From what we've heard at CSX's Southover yard in Savannah, and I've heard from multiple other sources, the Daimler-Chrysler plant deal isn't completely dead. They are still considering putting a plant there, and we've heard here locally that Hyundai wants the spot as well. That would give GC a real boost, and potentially more business for us at CSX as well. I certainly do hope something gets done on that site, I pass by it almost everyday and wonder how many jobs that spot could eventually hold.

Another good thing for the GC as well is the continued expansion of the GA Ports. They are doing more business out there I've heard, and CSX apparently is happy enough to let them have the business as long as it includes them dropping it off at Southover.

Back in 2010 GC started running rock trains on mixed freights and back in November of 2011 they started running intermodal so business is picking up. Also last week they ran an 85 car mixed freight with intermodal and rock. Rock trains dont excede a limit of 30 cars because of the Grade on the Macon-Dublin part of the line.