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BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT:
Delmarva Central Railroad
The railroad has been a prevalent part of American history for nearly 200 years. Technological innovation, advances in transportation, and expansion westward would have never happened without the existence of railroad lines. Today, freight railroads have become almost forgotten, yet remain an extremely vital part of the supply chain. The Delmarva Central Railroad, a subsidiary of Carload Express that operates 188 miles of rail lines within Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia,
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DELAWARE BUSINESS | Ja nu a r y / Fe br u a r y 2022
helps keep this industry alive within the Delmarva Peninsula. Through a competitive bidding process that concluded in December 2016, the Delmarva Central Railroad (DCR) was selected to operate an allocated 162 miles of track owned by Norfolk Southern on the Eastern Shore. Subsequent expansions and additional lease agreements followed shortly after, and the railroad currently spans from Porter, DE to as far south as Hallwood, VA. DCR serves over 50 customers on the Delmarva Peninsula, engaging in
BY REGINA DONATO
bulk transportation for a wide variety of industries. The number one volume of material they transport is aggregate stone. “The Delmarva Peninsula is basically a big, flat, sandy, pancake,” explained Cliff Grunstra, vice president and chief marketing officer. “In order to build roads and houses you need to provide a stone foundation, and railroads are an absolutely fantastic way to bring in that material.” The second-largest industry by rail volume the DCR serves is—to no surprise—agriculture. The DCR helps
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