Watco Begins Railroad Operations at Texas Port After conducting a formal ribbon-cutting ceremony August 2 at the Port of Corpus Christi in Texas, Watco launched its newest railroad operation the following day. Departing around 7:30 a.m. August 3, the Texas Coastal Bend Railroad (TCBR) – a 63-mile line providing rail service within the port – made its first journey. The TCBR took an outbound train of loaded pig iron from the bulk terminal and headed to the Nueces River Rail Yard on the port’s west end to deliver to the Union Pacific (UP). “Things went very smoothly,” said General Manager Darl Farris, “pretty much as we anticipated. We’re excited to get our new service under way.” Farris located to Texas in July to run the TCBR. He has been with Watco since 2014, first serving as the general manager at the Blue Ridge Southern Railroad for four years before moving to his most recent role of four years in training and development for Watco University. His prior Watco experience combined with 22 earlier years in railroading make Farris a natural for his new role. Leading up to the launch, Sales Manager Jeff Linville has been out talking to customers. “We have had the opportunity to meet with them and talk about their business,” he said, “Watco has received a warm welcome from all the Corpus Christi family. Everyone’s excited to bring Watco in, and we’re looking forward to working with them and keeping the growth going.” Watco’s new short line is its 46th currently in operation, and the port is the nation’s leading export gateway of U.S.-produced energy. The TCBR team of 22 will be moving commodities such as refined fuels, feed grain, military supplies, wind turbine components, and aggregates. Cargo coming into the port is stored or moved on ships, trucks, barges, the TCBR, or on the KCS, UP, or BNSF Railway.
The first crew to move a train on the Texas Coast Bend Railroad includes (l-r) : Darl Farris - General Manager Darl Farris, Engineer/Conductor James Hall, Engineer/Conductor Mario Garcia, Engineer/ Conductor Ernesto Sanchez, Conductor Tim Mireles, Trainmaster Jesse Luna, and VP of Operations Damien Cantrell. 4 The Dispatch | August 2022
