CG Railway’s new 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 Sept. 12, hauling 122 railcars and arrived at the Port of Coatzacoalcos in Veracruz, Mexico, on Sept. 15. The vessel began its return trip from Coatzacoalcos on Sept. 18, 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.
“We are extremely pleased with the Cherokee’s performance during its maiden voyage,” Todd Biscan, CGR vice president of sales and marketing, said in a news release. “The rail ferry transported more than 22,500 tons of diverse commodities, including chemicals, plastics, pulp and paper, agricultural products and food. CGR is excited to enhance service quality to customers and safely move railcars from the U.S. to Southern Mexico in three days with customs cleared en route.”
CGR also took delivery of an identical second new rail ferry, the Mayan, on Sept. 22, 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.
CG Railway is a joint venture between Genesee & Wyoming Inc. and SEACOR Holdings Inc.
