Genesee & Wyoming Inc. (G&W), Lyons, Ga., announced that its subsidiary Georgia Central Railway, L.P., will serve a major new plastics distribution facility under construction on its line in Pooler, Ga.

Georgia Central will transport bulk plastic resin to the new Plastic Express multi-commodity transloading center, which broke ground in June 2018. The resin and other bulk commodities will be repackaged and trucked to the nearby Port of Savannah, Savannah, Ga., for export to international markets. Carloads are expected to exceed 5,000 annually and to commence shipping in late 2019.

“The location near Savannah and access to two Class I railroads made Georgia Central an ideal choice to serve this new $172 million facility,” says Ray Hufnagel, president and CEO of Plastic Express. “We have worked with G&W at other terminal locations across the country, and the focus of G&W’s industrial development team and the railroad’s flexibility to meet our transportation needs makes them an easy choice to partner with on this project.”

The 197-acre Savannah Port Logistics Center site is being developed by Capital Development Partners Inc., Houston, Texas, and will serve as a magnet for attracting additional development at or near the site.

“Attracting Plastic Express was a team effort; Capital Development Partners, the State of Georgia, Georgia Ports Authority, Georgia Central Railway and G&W’s industrial development team worked collaboratively to create a solution that met the needs of Plastic Express and their customers,” says Michael Miller, G&W president, North America. “This win demonstrates how important it is to work together to attract new business and further strengthen our presence in Georgia. We look forward to providing the new facility with the customer-focused service that our short lines are known for and working to bring additional business to the site.”