U.S. Rep. John Carter (R-Texas) on Wednesday toured the Temple & Texas Central(TC) Railway, one of 12 short lines managed by Patriot Rail Co. LLC.
TC Operations Manager David Lutz led the tour, which also included a discussion of current rail issues, according to a press release issued by the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA).
The railroad operates on 10 miles of rail in the Central Pointe Rail Park, a 3,500-acre industrial park in Temple, Texas.
TC was awarded an exclusive long-term license agreement from the city of Temple to provide rail switching and other rail-related services to the park’s customers. TC interchanges traffic with BNSF Railway Co.
During the tour, Carter discussed encouraging economic development in central Texas.
“Freight rail is imperative to economic growth and prosperity, and I am proud to represent one of our nation’s premier short line rail lines supporting our economy in central Texas,” Carter said.
The tour group also highlighted the 45G short-line tax credit, which provides short lines a tax credit of 50 cents for every dollar spent on track improvements. A bill known as the Building Rail Access for Customers and the Economy (BRACE) Act would make the credit permanent. The BRACE Act recently reached majority supportin the U.S. House and Senate.