Y&S Completes Purchase of Line it Operates

The Youngstown & Southeastern Railroad has completed acquisition of a 36-mile rail line that runs from Youngstown to Darlington, Pennsylvania.

The rail line was sold by Mule Sidetracks, an affiliate of MarkWest Energy Partners, which had purchased the line in 2013 from the Columbiana County Port Authority for $3 million.

Although the sale price of the railroad to Y&S was not disclosed, The Business Journal of Youngstown reported that public records show Mule Sidetracks sold land along the tracks in Columbiana County to Y&S for $1,815,507 and sold Y&S 14 parcels in Mahoning County for $809,153.

MarkWest, which is based in Denver, had acquired the rail line with the expectation of developing business related to exploration of the Utica shale oil and gas fields.

The Port Authority was hoping that MarkWest would construct a processing plant in Columbiana County.

Y&S has been providing rail service on the line since 2006 under lease from the Port Authority and later by contract with MarkWest.

Y&S is an affiliate of Indiana Boxcar Corporation of Connersville, Indiana. The Class III railroad has annual revenue of less than $5 million.

It connects with NS in Youngstown and CSX in Lowellville.

Tags: Columbiana County Port Authority, MarkWest Energy Partners, Mule Sidetracks LLC, Ohio short-line railroads, short line railroads of Ohio, Youngstown & Southeastern Railroad