Ethanol unit train to serve Little Rock

26.07.2016. Genesee & Wyoming Inc subsidiary Arkansas Midland Railroad Company (AKMD) is to offer the first ethanol unit train service for the North Little Rock, Arkansas region.
The service will support gasoline-blending markets, serving the JP Energy terminal, which is the largest terminal at North Little Rock’s tank farm complex. Unit trains, which are able to handle up to 108 railcars, will be unloaded directly to JP Energy’s ethanol storage tanks on premises for onsite blending or direct outbound truck loading.
Prior to this, the local ethanol market was served only by truck deliveries and single-car rail shipments.
With the EPA’s mandate to increase the amount of biofuel mixed into the fuel supply, demand for ethanol blending is expected to increase, making a strong market for ethanol use in North Little Rock.
AKMD is a 114 mile short line railroad serving the Hot Springs and Little Rock areas. It interchanges with BNSF and Union Pacific railroads. Commodities shipped include aluminium, forest products, aggregates and energy products.
The railroad was acquired by G&W in 2015.