CG Railway, LLC (CGR), a joint venture between Genesee & Wyoming Inc. and SEACOR Holdings Inc., on September 28th,  announced that its new, state-of-the-art rail ferry, the Cherokee, completed its maiden roundtrip voyage with record results for transportation speed and railcar volumes.

The Cherokee departed the Port of Mobile in Alabama on September 12, 2021, hauling 122 railcars and arrived at the Port of Coatzacoalcos in Veracruz, Mexico, on September 15, 2021. The vessel began its return trip from Coatzacoalcos on September 18, 2021, with 130 railcars onboard and docked in Mobile three days later.

The Cherokee measures 590 feet in length and is designed to carry up to 135 railcars, a 17% capacity increase per sailing compared to CGR’s previous rail ferries.

CGR also took delivery of an identical second new rail ferry, the Mayan, on September 22, 2021, which is expected to enter into service in December and replace CGR’s existing vessel, the BANDA SEA. Until then, the BANDA SEA will continue to operate alongside the Cherokee to provide steady service to customers.

Established in 2000, CG Railway operates as a U.S. Class III freight railroad that currently transports approximately 10,000 carloads of diversified commodities annually across the Gulf of Mexico, with long-term agreements to operate purpose-built rail-ferry terminals in the ports of Mobile, Alabama, and Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz in Mexico. Genesee & Wyoming Inc. and SEACOR Holdings Inc. formed the rail-ferry joint venture that includes CG Railway, LLC in 2017, combining the two companies’ unmatched experience in rail and marine transportation and logistics services.

-via Press Release