R.J. Corman Railroad Group
R.J. Corman Railroad Group, LLC is a privately owned railroad services and short line operating company headquartered in Nicholasville, KY, with field locations in 23 states. It was owned by Richard J. Corman, who established the company in 1973, and ran it until his death on August 23, 2013. The company owns eleven short-line railroads spanning Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and West Virginia. The company serves all seven Class I railroads, many regional and short line railroads as well as various rail-served industries. These operations encompass an array of services, including: railroad construction, short line railroad operations, dispatch, industrial switching services, emergency response, track material logistics, distribution centers, signal design and construction, building eco-friendly locomotives, railroad worker training and an excursion dinner train.
 | |
| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Rail transport |
| Founded | 1973 |
| Founder | Richard J. Corman |
| Headquarters | , |
Area served | United States |
Key people | Ed Quinn (President) |
| Services |
|
| Revenue |  US$ 300 million (FY 2011)[1] |
Number of employees | Approx. 1600 |
| Website | www |
History
R.J. Corman Railroad Construction was founded in 1973 by Richard J. Corman.
In 1983, R. J. Corman Derailment Services was founded and opened its first division in Columbus, Ohio. From 1997 to 2000, eight more Derailment Services divisions were opened across the north and middle East.
The company's original headquarters, Jay Station, was completed and opened in Nicholasville, Kentucky. The property was dedicated to Rick's father, Jay Corman.
R.J. Corman began operating short line railroads in 1987 with the purchase of the Bardstown Line and the Memphis Line. The company continued to acquire and rehabilitate many lines throughout the 1990s. They've reopened many Railbanked lines, and in Pennsylvania, in 2008 they began work to reopen a fully abandoned non-railbanked corridor, to serve a new industrial park, landfill, and quarry.[2][3]
The Bardstown Line became home to My Old Kentucky Dinner Train, which took its inaugural run in 1989.
In 1990, R. J. Corman's first Distribution Center was opened in South Union, Kentucky.
R. J. Corman Material Sales began in 1994, after the company agreed to begin serving as Conrail's full service track and rail material distributor.
In 2001, R. J. Corman launched its Railroad Switching company.
From 2003 to 2004, R. J. Corman's runway, Lucas Field, was constructed in Nicholasville, Kentucky. With that project's completion, R. J. Corman Aircraft Maintenance was launched.
R. J. Corman Railroad Group announced on June 18, 2009, that it had acquired the assets of Railpower Technologies Corp, and its U.S. subsidiary, Railpower Hybrid Technologies.[4]
Fortune Magazine released a feature story on Rick Corman, an American classic self-made success.
On April 1, 2013, R. J. Corman Signaling was formed and began operations.
Rick Corman died on August 23, 2013, after an 11-year battle with Multiple Myeloma.
Lines owned
R.J. Corman operates the following subsidiaries:[5]
- R. J. Corman Railroad/Allentown Lines (Pennsylvania)
- R. J. Corman Railroad/Bardstown Line (Kentucky)
- R. J. Corman Railroad/Central Kentucky Lines (Kentucky)
- R. J. Corman Railroad/Carolina Lines (North and South Carolina)
- R. J. Corman Railroad/Cleveland Line (Ohio)
- R. J. Corman Railroad/Memphis Line (Kentucky and Tennessee)
- R. J. Corman Railroad/Pennsylvania Lines (Pennsylvania)
- R. J. Corman Railroad/Tennessee Terminal (Mississippi and Tennessee)
- R .J. Corman Railroad/Texas Line (Texas)
- R. J. Corman Railroad/Western Ohio Line (Indiana and Ohio)
- R. J. Corman Railroad/West Virginia Line (West Virginia)
- Nashville and Eastern Railroad, Nashville & Western Railroad and Transit Solution Group; operations acquired by R.J. Corman in January 2019[6][7][8]
- Owego and Harford Railway, Lehigh Railway and Luzerne and Susquehanna Railway; agreement to acquire announced on August 19, 2020[9]
Services and operations
R. J. Corman offers services such as: railroad construction, short line railroad operations, dispatch, industrial switching services, emergency response, track material logistics, distribution centers, signal design and construction, building eco-friendly locomotives, railroad worker training and an excursion dinner train.
References
- "The ballad of Richard Jay Corman". Fortune Magazine.
- "STB Finance Docket No. 35116: R.J. Corman Railroad Company/Pennsylvania Lines Inc. – Construction and Operation Exemption—In Clearfield County, PA". United States Surface Transportation Board. July 31, 2009.
- United States Surface Transportation Board (July 31, 2009). "Construction and Operation Exemption: R.J. Corman Railroad Company/Pennsylvania Lines Inc., Clearfield County, PA". vlex.
- "RJ Corman Railroad Group acquires Railpower Corporation assets" (PDF). Retrieved June 25, 2009.
- R.J. Corman Railroad Group. "Shortline Operations". Archived from the original on 2013-03-22.
- "R. J. Corman acquires two short lines, commuter-rail service". Progressive Railroading. 2018-11-06. Retrieved 2018-11-11.
- Kyra Senese (2018-11-06). "R. J. Corman finalizes acquisitions". Railway Age. Retrieved 2018-11-11.
- Jim Herrin (2018-11-06). "Nashville and Eastern Railroad Company to be sold". Herald-Citizen. Retrieved 2018-11-11.
- "R. J. Corman to acquire three short lines, transload service provider". Progressive Railroading. 2020-08-20. Retrieved 2020-10-11.
- Surface Transportation Board, Finance Docket No. 34775, February 3, 2006
- RJ Corman Official Website, May 27, 2009
External links
Railpower LocomotivesR. J. Corman Railpower Locomotives division offers Railpower GenSet Locomotives. They are low to medium horsepower locomotives that serve both yard and switching functions.