(Source: Union Pacific press release, December 28, 2021)
OMAHA, Neb. — From conception to ribbon-cutting, Union Pacific, ExxonMobil, SABIC and Savage Gulf Rail have worked closely together to align infrastructure plans and optimize logistics potential for a new rail facility in San Patricio County, Texas.
The Savage Gulf Rail Facility will support the multibillion-dollar Gulf Coast Growth Ventures plastics manufacturing facility, a new joint venture between ExxonMobil and SABIC just north of Gregory, Texas.
Union Pacific will provide rail connectivity, exclusively moving freight to and from the facility year-round.
The rail yard boasts 36 miles of track, a rail car wash facility, a rail car repair shop, a rail serving yard and a rail Storage-In-Transit (SIT) yard.
“Robin Ringwald, manager-Industrial Development, Marketing and Sales, spearheaded the rail design process on behalf of Union Pacific to ensure the new site met our Engineering and Operating needs,” said Marty Russell, general director-Sales, Marketing and Sales, and ExxonMobil account lead. “We collaborated closely with our key partners to ensure we had a superior marketing and operating plan in place to execute this new business.”
The joint venture will generate an estimated 15,000 annual carloads of plastics materials, such as monoethylene glycol and polyethylene.
“Superintendent-Train Operations Michael Everhart and Senior Manager-Train Operations Robert Vega worked closely with Savage’s rail team, advising them on the most efficient ways to drop, block and pull from the facility to support a seamless transportation plan,” Russell said.
The three-year rail design and development process is coming to a close — as the rail yard welcomes new business.