roberttosh wrote: ↑Tue Jun 15, 2021 12:06 pm
newpylong wrote: ↑Tue Jun 15, 2021 7:46 am
If it's in the Portland area (which is the rumor I am hearing), there is little need. It's nearly all 40 as-is besides the Stoney and Lowell branches.
Interesting that they are looking at Portland instead of Waterville, which already has the existing IM terminal. By locating in Portland, it would seem that CSX is going after more non-paper related traffic, as there is certainly more population density there than in Waterville, which on the flip side is in closer proximity to most of the mills. Portland is also quite a bit closer to Worcester, which you would think makes Waterville more attractive. Will certainly be interesting to see how all this pans out.
Sorry for the double post -- most paper guys have integrated supply chains with Portland as their southern point here in Maine (some Auburn and Mech Falls/Paris) linked up with Sprague, Merrill's or NEPW. There is an off-line finishing facility in Scarborough, NEPS, which has as I recall 4 maybe 5 winders and 14,000 ton capacity.
Also, there are major distribution facilities in Portland for Hannaford, Office Max, a number of hardware and light retail, as well as Walmart up in Auburn just a stones throw. Shaws is down in Wells too, not too far off. Schneider already has a drop lot in South Portland adjacent Rigby Yard and JB Hunt is hiring an operations team in Portland likewise to handle the business up this way. Nothing to shake a stick at that is for sure, the demand is there in the Southern Maine market now they need to build capacity to meet it. You can still land daycabs at all the mills except probably Twin Rivers in Madawaska and Woodland, but those can be done by Regional fleet or via the 'new' LMS in East Millinocket (200 miles from Portland)