RailAmerica / Southern Ontario Railway (SOR) locomotive No. 2211, an EMD GP35M, at London, Ontario, Canada on May 28, 2011.
(SoftwareSimian, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons)
RAILAMERICA
RailAmerica, Inc., based in Jacksonville, Florida, was a holding company of a number of short-line railroads and regional railroads in the United States and Canada.
In 2007, RailAmerica was acquired by Fortress Investment Group. Before that, it traded on the New York Stock Exchange with the ticker symbol RRA. It was relisted in October 2009 with the ticker symbol RA.
On June 30, 2010, the company announced that it had acquired Atlas Railroad Construction, a construction and maintenance company operating in the Northeast and Midwest United States, for US$24 million.
In April 2011, RailAmerica made its first shortline purchase in over five years by initiating a deal with Gulf and Ohio Railways to acquire three Alabama shortlines for $12.7 million.
On July 23, 2012, Genesee & Wyoming Inc. announced that it intended to purchase RailAmerica in a deal valued at $1.39 billion. Approval of the purchase was granted by the U.S. Surface Transportation Board on December 19, 2012. While awaiting the decision, Genesee & Wyoming put RailAmerica control in the hands of a trust. They assumed control on December 28, 2012, and the company was in the process of integration to G&W.
Former subsidiaries
RailAmerica controlled the following railroads. It acquired some through purchase of other holding companies: RailLink Canada in July 1999, RailTex in February 2000, ParkSierra and StatesRail in January 2002, and the rail properties of Alcoa in September 2005.
In addition to those listed below, RailAmerica's prior owner, Fortress Investment Group, purchased the Florida East Coast Railway (FEC) in September 2007 from Florida East Coast Industries. Although Fortress maintained a level of common control between the two railroads, FEC was never made a formal part of the RailAmerica family, and Fortress did not include FEC in the RailAmerica spinoff.
RailAmerica was founded by Gary O. Marino and John H. Marino in 1986.
| Company: | Acquired from: | Date: | Notes: |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama and Gulf Coast Railway | StatesRail | January 2002 | |
| Arizona and California Railroad | ParkSierra | January 2002 | |
| Bauxite and Northern Railway | Alcoa | September 2005 | |
| California Northern Railroad | ParkSierra | January 2002 | |
| Cape Breton and Central Nova Scotia Railway | RailTex | February 2000 | |
| Carolina Piedmont Railroad | RailTex | February 2000 | |
| Cascade and Columbia River Railroad | direct | September 1996 | |
| Central Michigan Railway | direct | January 2004 | Leased by Huron and Eastern Railway |
| Central Oregon and Pacific Railroad | RailTex | February 2000 | |
| Central Railroad of Indiana | RailTex | February 2000 | |
| Central Railroad of Indianapolis | RailTex | February 2000 | Also operates Winamac Southern Railway as agent |
| Chesapeake and Albemarle Railroad | RailTex | February 2000 | |
| Chicago, Fort Wayne and Eastern Railroad | direct | July 2004 | |
| Connecticut Southern Railroad | RailTex | February 2000 | |
| Dallas, Garland and Northeastern Railroad | RailTex | February 2000 | |
| Eastern Alabama Railway | StatesRail | January 2002 | |
| Goderich-Exeter Railway | RailTex | February 2000 | |
| Grand Rapids Eastern Railroad | RailTex | February 2000 | |
| Huron and Eastern Railway | direct | March 1992 | |
| Indiana and Ohio Railway | RailTex | February 2000 | |
| Indiana Southern Railroad | RailTex | February 2000 | |
| Kiamichi Railroad | direct | January 2002 | |
| Kyle Railroad | StatesRail | January 2002 | |
| Lahaina, Kaanapali and Pacific Railroad | StatesRail | January 2002 | |
| Marquette Rail | direct | February 2012 | |
| Massena Terminal Railroad | Alcoa | September 2005 | |
| Michigan Shore Railroad | RailTex | February 2000 | |
| Mid-Michigan Railroad | RailTex | February 2000 | |
| Missouri and Northern Arkansas Railroad | RailTex | February 2000 | |
| New England Central Railroad | RailTex | February 2000 | |
| North Carolina and Virginia Railroad | RailTex | February 2000 | |
| Ottawa Valley Railway | RaiLink | July 1999 | |
| Otter Tail Valley Railroad | direct | October 1996 | |
| Point Comfort and Northern Railway | Alcoa | September 2005 | |
| Puget Sound and Pacific Railroad | ParkSierra | January 2002 | |
| Raillink Canada Limited | Direct | January 2002 | Registered office in Montreal |
| Rockdale, Sandow and Southern Railroad | Alcoa | September 2005 | |
| San Diego and Imperial Valley Railroad | RailTex | February 2000 | |
| San Joaquin Valley Railroad | StatesRail | January 2002 | |
| South Carolina Central Railroad | RailTex | February 2000 | |
| Southern Ontario Railway | RaiLink | July 1999 | |
| Texas Northeastern Railroad | RailTex | February 2000 | |
| Toledo, Peoria and Western Railway | direct | September 1999 | |
| Ventura County Railroad | direct | August 1998 | |
| Virginia Southern Railroad | RailTex | February 2000 | |
| A&R Line, Inc. | TP&W | September 1999 | Leased by TP&W since 1997; owned by Cargill; service ended in September 2002 |
| Arizona Eastern Railway | StatesRail | January 2002 | Sold December 2004 to Permian Basin Railways |
| Central Western Railway | RaiLink | July 1999 | Sold January 2006 |
| Dakota Rail, Inc. | direct | September 1995 | Sold December 2001 to Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority |
| Delaware Valley Railway | direct | July 1994 | Lease transferred March 1999 to Brandywine Valley Railroad |
| E&N Railway | direct | January 1999 | Sold June 2006 to Southern Railway of British Columbia |
| Evansville Terminal Company | direct | June 1996 | Sold September 1997 to John H. Marino |
| Ferronor | direct | February 1997 | Leased Potrerillos Railway in January 2002; sold February 2004 |
| Freight Australia | direct | April 1999 | Sold August 2004 to Pacific National |
| Georgia Southwestern Railroad | RailTex | February 2000 | Sold March 2002 to local interests |
| Gettysburg Railway | direct | November 1996 | Sold October 1997 to John H. Marino; included Gettysburg Scenic Rail Tours |
| Indiana and Ohio Central Railroad | RailTex | February 2000 | Merged May 2005 into Indiana and Ohio Railway |
| J.K. Line, Inc. | TP&W | September 1999 | Leased by TP&W since 1998; owned by Cargill; service ended in April 2002 |
| Lakeland and Waterways Railway | RaiLink | July 1999 | Sold January 2006 |
| Mackenzie Northern Railway | RaiLink | July 1999 | Sold January 2006 |
| Minnesota Northern Railroad | direct | December 1996 | Sold August 2000 to KBN, Inc. |
| Ontario L'Orignal Railway | RailTex | February 2000 | Sold December 2000 |
| Pittsburgh Industrial Railroad | RailTex | February 2000 | Sold December 2000 to Summit View, Inc. |
| Plainview Terminal Company | direct | November 1995 | |
| St. Croix Valley Railroad | direct | September 1997 | Sold August 2000 to KBN, Inc. |
| Saginaw Valley Railway | direct | March 1992 | Merged September 2004 into Huron and Eastern Railway |
| San Luis and Rio Grande Railroad | direct | June 2003 | Sold December 2005 to Permian Basin Railways |
| San Pedro and Southwestern Railway | StatesRail | January 2002 | Sold October 2003 to Arizona Railroad Group |
| South Central Tennessee Railroad | direct | February 1994 | Sold December 2000 to Henry G. Hohorst et al. |
| Texas-New Mexico Railroad | RailTex | February 2000 | Sold May 2002 to Permian Basin Railways |
| West Texas and Lubbock Railroad | direct | November 1995 | Leased May 2002 to Permian Basin Railways subsidiary West Texas and Lubbock Railway; sold December 2004 to Permian Basin Railways |
Overview
Company type: Private
Industry: Rail transport
Founded: 1986
Disposition: Acquired by Genesee & Wyoming in 2012
Successor: Genesee & Wyoming Inc.
Headquarters: Jacksonville, Florida, United States
Services: Short line and regional railroads
Revenue: US$410.6 million (2009)
