TexAmericas Center adds new locomotives to industrial park's fleet

TexAmericas Center, which owns and operates an industrial park in Texarkana and is one of the largest mixed-use industrial parks in the United States, is expanding its logistics and infrastructure capabilities with the arrival of two new locomotives.

The additions are a part of a $3.15 million investment into bolstering rail service in the park, which is a Union Pacific Railroad Focus Site, TexAmericas Center officials said in a press release.

The new locomotives will strengthen the center’s ability to provide in-house rail movements and support a wider range of tenant operations. With increased power and flexibility, the new equipment also allows the organization to aid in the growth of its tenants, center officials said.

The project was funded in part through a $1.5 million Defense Economic Adjustment Assistance Grant from the Texas Military Preparedness Commission. The need for upgraded locomotives emerged after TexAmericas Center acquired a rail-car storage business in 2021, inheriting two aging locomotives and a growing demand for its rail system.

“This investment gives us the horsepower to meet our tenants’ needs today and scale for what’s next,” said Scott Norton, CEO and executive director of TexAmericas Center.

In addition, TexAmericas Center is advancing broader rail expansion plans, including new track on the south end of its east campus, additional spurs and the development of storage-in-transit yards — all aimed at increasing capacity and flexibility for tenants.