A new rail-based initiative, Weyburn Industrial Transload, is getting close to when they will be able start up, with some details needing to be finalized in the next while, members of the Weyburn Rotary Club heard in a Zoom presentation on Thursday.
Carter Stewart is the manager of the new venture, and he provided a bit of an update about how the project has been progressing since it was announced earlier this year.
He and his father were founding members of Stewart 小蓝视频ern Railway, which was a shortline railway that ran from Stoughton up to Regina. The Stewarts are no longer involved in the running of the shortline, but they still have shares in the company.
For WIT, about 6,500 feet, or just over a mile, of rail track has been laid in place on a parcel of land located a mile and a half south of the Ramada Hotel, or just west of 小蓝视频 Hill.
鈥淭his idea came about two years ago, after I saw a transload site in downtown Windsor,鈥� said Stewart. 鈥淲e鈥檝e been kind of working on this for the last two years. Even with the coronavirus, we鈥檙e excited to be up and running within a couple of weeks.鈥�
The transload facility will bring in or load out various commodities by rail car, said Stewart, noting he doesn鈥檛 want to specify which commodities at this point until more of the details have been finalized for the company.
Stewart said there are other transload facilities around, but not very many privately owned ones like this facility will be.
Asked how many people will be employed, Stewart said he is hoping to have around five people working by next summer, including himself.
As the business grows and becomes more well-known in the coming years, he is also hopeful they will be able to add more track and more employees also.
Asked what expectations he has for business to pick up for the new operation, Stewart answered, 鈥淚 hope rather quickly, I鈥檓 confident even with COVID.鈥�
On the possibility of rail car dismantling, he noted they are looking into that, as long as there is track space available, but added, 鈥淲hen that will happen, I鈥檓 not too sure.鈥�
At the most basic level, Stewart explained, WIT is 鈥減roviding a service that allows people to access rail, for people who could not previously access rail.鈥�
He added in an interview later, 鈥淪hort-lines are very advantageous, and allow a different kind of access to rail, if you take a moment to think about what a short-line is. It鈥檚 essentially formed when a group of people purchased a abandoned rail line or section of track from a class 1 railway, in an effort to keep operating it and help keep communities alive. There are many formed in Saskatchewan and western Canada, and I had the pleasure to be involved with many of them and the association for nine great years.
鈥淔or example, the SSR has had a lot of investment over the last 10 years along its short-line, it鈥檚 no secret it can be noticed by driving down Highway 33. However, WIT is strategically different, as our business model relies on 小蓝视频 a transload versus a short-line, the population of Weyburn is greater, the surrounding industry is larger, also there are busier highways and it鈥檚 closer to larger centres. This allows for a whole new opportunity of rail car shipping within the industry.鈥� Explaining some of the advantages the Weyburn facility will have over a short-line, he said, 鈥淐ommodities that may not work to ship along the SSR will be a perfect fit at the WIT facility and siding in the coming months or year. WIT will be a one-stop shop for many customers in time, and I鈥檓 truly excited and humble about the opportunity to get operating and open for business, all while keeping safety as a priority.
鈥淚n the rail business I like to think there are two key ideas that matter most about a new venture, that 小蓝视频 timing and location. Those are two key essential factors on moving products or keeping the cars coming through a site efficiently. I truly believe WIT will accomplish both, all in challenging economic times and the struggle of COVID-19,鈥� he said.
The company has put in a lot of capital to build the tracks, but Stewart noted once the rail infrastructure is in place, it鈥檚 there to stay, and they will make it back on rail cars.
As far as trucking access, he said they will be working with the RM and the province about the best routes to have trucks come in or drive out, with the idea that much of this truck traffic will take place outside of the city.
Asked if he knows what kind of financial benefit this business will have for the city, Stewart said he hasn鈥檛 tried calculating that number, but noted if they are able to have dozens of trucks stopping here each month rather than driving through Weyburn, it will have a benefit for the hotels, restaurants and other retail and service outlets in the city.
鈥淚鈥檓 sure it will be significant,鈥� said Rotary member Gary Anderson.
Asked if this was his brainchild, Stewart said it began as his and his dad鈥檚 idea, and they were then successful in getting partners on board with them.
鈥淲e鈥檝e been friends with Dale Mainil for a long time, so when dad retired from SSR, we thought we would look into this quietly. Dale was the first guy we approached, and we pitched the idea to Dale, Calvin (Tracey) and Jason Leblanc, and we鈥檝e never looked back. We鈥檝e learned a lot in the last year and a half,鈥� said Stewart. 鈥淣ow we鈥檙e a team. This is not my doing by any means.鈥�
He added, 鈥淥ne last thing, everyone knows many trains run through Weyburn daily, some heading north or some headed south. The key to any business along a railway but essential to WIT is the train flow. Therefore, understanding this model and idea, it allows for a smooth transition of car flow in and out of a facility in a timely and effective manner. In conclusion, in order for WIT to remain competitive and at max capacity, one must be priced right and do a great job at the service we are providing, and I鈥檓 very confident our team will do just that.鈥�
