Officials celebrate opening of Mount Vernon Railroad creating ‘Mega-Modal’ opportunity for Southwest IN port

State and local officials celebrated the grand opening of the Mount Vernon Railroad today, creating an unparalleled “Mega-Modal” opportunity for Southwest Indiana. The railroad is a partnership between OmniTRAX – the nation’s largest privately-held, family-owned rail transportation company – and Ports of Indiana-Mount Vernon – the state’s largest port.

To commemorate the event, local elementary students visited the port to see the two locomotives they helped name – “Power Paws” and “Wildcat Express” – and to learn about ports and rail safety.

As part of the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Ports of Indiana and OmniTRAX officials coined the term “Mega-Modal” to describe the large-scale economic development opportunity created by this new partnership and the port’s multimodal megasite.

Owned by Ports of Indiana and operated by OmniTRAX, Mount Vernon Railroad serves as the switching carrier for the Mount Vernon port. The port handles an average of 25,000 railcars annually and is home to a 500-acre megasite targeted for large-scale multimodal development. The port is currently investing $25 million to support steel, automotive, plastics, energy, and heavy industrial growth, and attract large multimodal industries that rely on barge and rail transportation.

The port’s megasite combines access to four Class I railroads, the largest inland port district in the U.S. by tonnage, and OmniTRAX’s robust economic development resources as part of The Broe Group, a private, multi-billion-dollar infrastructure company with diversified holdings throughout 41 North American states and provinces. Denver-based OmniTRAX operates a total of 29 industrial railroads across the U.S. and Canada, along with 52 transload facilities and five industrial parks.

Officials participating in the grand opening ceremony included Ports of Indiana CEO Jody Peacock, OmniTRAX Chief Commercial Officer Ryan Higgins, Mount Vernon Mayor Steve Loehr, Evansville Regional Economic Partnership CEO Lloyd Winnecke and business and community leaders.

Quotes from Key Officials:

Indiana Secretary of Commerce David Adams: “Our ports and railroads are critical to Indiana businesses and Governor Braun’s plans for helping grow our economy. Our state’s ports provide essential rail and maritime connections for Hoosiers companies and contribute $8.7 billion per year to our state’s economy while supporting 50,000 jobs. This new partnership with OmniTRAX creates a tremendous opportunity for growth in Southwest Indiana by supporting existing business and attracting new investment.”

Ports of Indiana CEO Jody Peacock: “This new partnership creates a ‘Mega-Modal’ opportunity like we have never seen in the 60-year history of our ports. Where else in the world can you find the multimodal resources, port land, and economic development potential that we have right here in Mount Vernon? Combining the resources we have assembled here today creates a unique opportunity to support to the Southwest Indiana economy and drive future large-scale multimodal development of our port.”

OmniTRAX Chief Commercial Officer Ryan Higgins: “Ports of Indiana-Mount Vernon is a hidden gem that provides unparalleled access to America’s agricultural and industrial heartland. By combining exceptional development sites with unsurpassed multimodal service, Mount Vernon is poised for a dynamic new chapter of growth and development. OmniTRAX is excited to help create world-class logistics solutions that bring new customers and new investment to Indiana.”

Mount Vernon Port Director Jason May: “The Mount Vernon Railroad is the backbone of our heavy-haul logistics infrastructure and a major economic resource for our local community. We’re excited to celebrate this best-in-class rail collaboration with our regional partners and to have the young people in our community play a role in naming the two locomotives that will serve businesses at our port for many years to come.”