Eastern Railroad Discussion > Utica Shale Play

Does anyone know how much rail traffic has increased as a result of the Utica Shale in Ohio and Pennsylvania? It is supposedly a major oil and gas field.

Is there much sand and pipe headed that way? One would think that a number of railroads would benefit and decline, if it affects the consumption of coal in that area.

Here is one article I found:

http://www.progressiverailroading.com/csx_transportation/article/Marcellus-Utica-shale-regions-keep-railroads-busy--39012



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/30/14 05:23 by NYC6001.

Lehigh Railway, Wellsboro & Corning, etc are doing very well. Continuous pipe and sand trains on the NS Buffalo Line too.

Unlike the Bakken, the Marcellus is well supplied with access to pipeline capacity

Lackawanna484 Wrote:
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> Lehigh Railway, Wellsboro & Corning, etc are doing
> very well. Continuous pipe and sand trains on the
> NS Buffalo Line too.
>
> Unlike the Bakken, the Marcellus is well supplied
> with access to pipeline capacity

There's still a fair amount of fracking sand and other material moving into eastern Ohio by rail that wasn't happening before.

Just to make sure everyone's clear on this: the Marcellus Shale is mostly in NY and PA. The Utica is mostly in Ohio.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/30/14 06:13 by toledopatch.

W&LE is very busy; lots of motive power acquired (SD-40s); many new hires; plenty of trains, expecially east of Brewster, OH.

W&LE is servicing two new Markwest/Utica plants in Hopedale, Ohio, and Westland, PA. Traffic east of Brewster on the W&LE has tripled.

I believe Westland to be a Marcellus facility, rail transload tied to Houston,PA production.

http://www.markwest.com/operations/marcellus/

The WE also has a new frac sand teansload in downtown Canton ohio.

The Shortline Ohi Rail is rehabbing their entire line of out service track
They also have rebuilt their ex NYC yard in Minerva OH for a sand transload. Looks like a modern facility especially with run through widebodies.

The Ohio Central has a huge refinery in Scio OH & a sand transload in Dennison, OH

Posted from Android

The Ohio Central has also gained new business on the former B&O/CSX Central Ohio Sub east of Zanesville to Cambridge, Ohio. Several smaller companies have located next the line and receive cars. A smaller oil business located next the main in Norwich and receive tank cars, CN family boxcars, and 2 bay covered hoppers. GoFrac built a good sized sand unloading facilty near Cambridge. They also receive tank cars.

I guess the shale plays are just what those railroads needed!

Newpark drilling fluids is the company in Norwich. Ive made a pickup there before in my tanker truck. There is also a frac sand transload east of there, west of Cambridge

Posted from Android

Ohio Central also relaid more tracks in their yard at Newark, OH. Maybe they should do the same at Dennison. The land from the old yard is still there

Posted from Android

The old Northstar Steel plant in Girard, OH had a massive million $ expansion in the past few years. They make pipe for oil rigs.

Posted from Android

conraildan3 Wrote:
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> The old Northstar Steel plant in Girard, OH had a
> massive million $ expansion in the past few years.
> They make pipe for oil rigs.
>
> Posted from Android


Pipe and sand seem to be products on which the railroad has a headlock. Both have been high growth, as well as producing a lot of good American jobs.