Watco’s I-Rail Teams Begin Performing Operations at Texas Locations

Members of the Freeport, Texas team

After signing an agreement in July of 2020, Watco acquired the rail infrastructure assets and related equipment of Dow Inc. at six major North American sites. Named the I-Rail (Industrial Rail) locations, these operations sit under Watco’s Division 5 management group, whose specialty is switching operations. When Watco acquired the assets, a thirdparty contractor was handing the railrelated operations, but recently Watco team members began performing those duties at two of the locations. Services provided at the facilities include switching railcars, washing polyethylene rail cars, track maintenance through a third-party contractor, and shipment scheduling assistance.

The Freeport, Texas, facility is located on the coast just south of Houston, and Watco team members began self-servicing the facility on July 1. Freeport is the largest of the I-Rail sites with 91 team members. The Freeport facility includes 76 miles of track and the team provides services to six customers at the location. There are a total of 10 locomotives and three trackmobiles dedicated to Freeport.

A two-hour drive southwest down the Gulf Coast from Freeport will land you at another Texas I-Rail location in Seadrift. This facility saw 68 new team members join the team when they began self-performing operations at the site on September 1. The Seadrift site has 35 miles of track with four locomotives and three trackmobiles. The team at this facility provides services to two customers.

Jason Eliot, Vice President of Operations, said each of the transitions went very well. Extra team members were brought in to help teach, observe, and offer any help.

“As with everything, there are always improvements that can be made, but the most important part is taking care of the people and we did that very well,” said Eliot. “The new team members were very happy with the transition, and much of that success falls to the excellent work the site leaders did. One of the most profound statements I heard from a team member was they were very excited to be considered a tenant instead of a contractor. That status change creates a level of ownership amongst the team members that helps to drive a culture and work environment that looks more like a family atmosphere than just a place where we work.”

Contract partners currently serve the other four locations. They include St. Charles, Louisiana; Plaquemine, Louisiana; Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta, Canada; and Prentiss, Alberta, Canada. On November 1, St. Charles will join Freeport and Seadrift with Watco team members running the operations.

St. Charles includes 35 miles of rail. There is one Watco team member currently at the location, but 48 additional team members will transition over. St. Charles operates six locomotives and serves six customers. This team also has the added challenge of bouncing back after being hit by Hurricane Ida. Issues caused by the hurricane include damages to the site, shortages of fuel and supplies, and difficulty finding hotel rooms for the start-up teams. After the storm, Watco teams from Texas and Plaquemine showed up with tarps, fuel, water, and food to help fellow I-Rail team members.

The Plaquemine location runs six locomotives on 53 miles of rail. Four Watco team members and 76 contract partners are currently employed at the facility serving six customers.

Two other I-Rail sites are both located in Alberta, Canada. Fort Saskatchewan has 39 miles of rail, three Watco team members, and 38 third-party contract partners. They operate four locomotives and one trackmobile, and serve two customers. The Prentiss site operates with two Watco team members and 32 third-party contract partners. They run on 16 miles of rail with three locomotives and one trackmobile providing services to two customers.

“Being a part of this growth within Watco and having the opportunity to be a part of this awesome division has been a dream come true,” said Eliot. “I have really enjoyed the Watco way of doing things and treating people. I consider myself highly blessed to work with such a great group, everyone from Recruiting to Operations has been a pleasure to be around. I am looking forward to what the future brings for our division and for the rest of Watco.”