Railroad Transportation
Rail transportation of sugar cane and other farm products is highly
efficient and cost effective. U.S. Sugar operates the largest private
agricultural railroad in the country and is the only sugar company
in the continental U.S. that transports all its cane by railroad
to its mills.
Internal Railroad
The Company owns 120 miles of railroad that connects
important areas to milling and refining operations.
The rail line connects with the Florida East Coast and
the South Central Florida Express railroads, which in turn connect
to CXS.
Includes approximately 1,000 railroad cane cars and
14 locomotives.
Each specially designed cane car holds up to 40 tons of sugar cane
- the equivalent of an average acre.
As sugar cane is harvested it is collected at rail loading stations.
The system operates 24 hours a day for just-in-time processing.
Rail transport requires significantly less fuel than truck transport
and reduces highway traffic.
As many as 1,300 railroad cars run each day, the equivalent
of 2,600 semi-tractor loads.
South Central Florida Express
U.S. Sugar purchased the independent short line railroad, South Central Florida
Express, with 159 miles of track, 14 locomotives and railcars, in 1994.
Traffic increased from 41,000 carloads in 1994 to
more than 73,000 in 2003.
Two spurs connect Lake Okeechobee's agricultural communities
and businesses with the mainline railroads to the north and south.
Hauls sugar cane and products, fertilizer and farm
equipment as well as products for lumber, paper and citrus industries.
Named "1999 Short Line Railroad of the Year" by
Railway Age magazine.
Broad customer base includes local and national companies.
