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Bastrop is unique in having two railroad lines that can help attract new businesses after the recent closure of International Paper’s Louisiana Mill.
An early draft of Taimerica Management Co.’s Recovery Plan for Bastrop and Morehouse Parish cites the two rail lines, with daily switching to the KCS and UP railyards in Monroe, as economic assets that can be marketed to attract new companies.
Morehouse Economic Development Corp. CEO Kay King said the report confirmed her belief that the short-line AL&M Railroad could be good for business.
“Whereas companies like UP and KCS are more interested in long-distance transportation, AL&M is a short-line railroad that is more oriented toward customer service,” said King.
Founded in 1908, the Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi (AL&M) Railroad is a short-line railroad stretching north from Monroe through Bastrop to Crossett, Ark. Most of the line runs parallel to U.S. 165 and U.S. 425.
Railroad access can be a critical factor in a company’s decision to locate a new factory or distribution site. However, rail infrastructure does not always guarantee economic development.
Think of long-distance railroads as interstates, and short-line railroads as state and local roads. A switching point is necessary to get freight from the regional tracks onto the national rail system.
Bastrop’s daily rail switching allows freight traveling on the AL&M line to join up with larger carloads in Monroe. From there, materials and finished goods can be transported throughout the country on the Union Pacific (UP) or Kansas City Southern (KCS) lines.
“Smaller companies can use the shorter railroad, and then transfer to the larger railroad in Monroe,” said King. “That’s a very valuable service. There’s only so much you can bring in by truck.”
The AL&M Railroad is here to stay, she said, because it continues to serve the Crossett Paper Mill.
“We’re not at risk of losing the rail service because it’s connected to Crossett,” said King. “That gives us an opportunity to look for additional companies who need rail service.”
King said she has been contacted by a company that is interested in Bastrop precisely because of the railroads.
“There are not many communities served by two rail lines, particularly for a town this size,” she said. “It’s one of the things that makes Bastrop unique.”
Bastrop is unique in having two railroad lines that can help attract new businesses after the recent closure of International Paper’s Louisiana Mill.
An early draft of Taimerica Management Co.’s Recovery Plan for Bastrop and Morehouse Parish cites the two rail lines, with daily switching to the KCS and UP railyards in Monroe, as economic assets that can be marketed to attract new companies.
Morehouse Economic Development Corp. CEO Kay King said the report confirmed her belief that the short-line AL&M Railroad could be good for business.
“Whereas companies like UP and KCS are more interested in long-distance transportation, AL&M is a short-line railroad that is more oriented toward customer service,” said King.
Founded in 1908, the Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi (AL&M) Railroad is a short-line railroad stretching north from Monroe through Bastrop to Crossett, Ark. Most of the line runs parallel to U.S. 165 and U.S. 425.
Railroad access can be a critical factor in a company’s decision to locate a new factory or distribution site. However, rail infrastructure does not always guarantee economic development.
Think of long-distance railroads as interstates, and short-line railroads as state and local roads. A switching point is necessary to get freight from the regional tracks onto the national rail system.
Bastrop’s daily rail switching allows freight traveling on the AL&M line to join up with larger carloads in Monroe. From there, materials and finished goods can be transported throughout the country on the Union Pacific (UP) or Kansas City Southern (KCS) lines.
“Smaller companies can use the shorter railroad, and then transfer to the larger railroad in Monroe,” said King. “That’s a very valuable service. There’s only so much you can bring in by truck.”
The AL&M Railroad is here to stay, she said, because it continues to serve the Crossett Paper Mill.
“We’re not at risk of losing the rail service because it’s connected to Crossett,” said King. “That gives us an opportunity to look for additional companies who need rail service.”
King said she has been contacted by a company that is interested in Bastrop precisely because of the railroads.
“There are not many communities served by two rail lines, particularly for a town this size,” she said. “It’s one of the things that makes Bastrop unique.”
