Wheeling and Lake Erie Railway Company

What Wheeling and Lake Erie Railway Company does

Wheeling & Lake Erie Railway Company (W&LE) is a Class III regional freight railroad headquartered in Brewster, Ohio, operating 840 miles of track across Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Maryland. Originally founded in 1871 to move West Virginia coal to Lake Erie ports, the railroad was reconstituted under its current name in 1990 when Norfolk Southern divested the line to private investors, combining the former W&LE with Pittsburgh & West Virginia and Akron, Canton & Youngstown lines. W&LE directly connects to all three major eastern Class I railroads (Canadian National, CSX Transportation, Norfolk Southern) plus 14+ regional and shortline carriers, and handles more than 140,000 freight carloads annually for 135+ industrial customers.

The company's infrastructure is capital-intensive and purpose-built for heavy industrial commodities: mainline track rated to 286,000 lb gross weight at speeds up to 40 mph, 500+ company-owned open-top hoppers and mill gondolas, a fleet of ninety 4,750 cubic foot grain covered hoppers, and the 140,000+ square foot Brewster Shop complex (with 90-ton drop table, 35-ton crane, and 1,000-car storage yard). Supporting assets include the Warrenton River Terminal — a 200-acre multi-modal facility at Rayland, OH with 8,000+ feet of track and 2MT bulk storage — and the wholly-owned Akron Barberton Cluster Railway subsidiary serving the greater Akron area. Unit train capabilities extend to 90 cars for aggregates and grain.

W&LE generates revenue primarily through published tariff-based freight transportation (WE 8001 series), with six identified revenue streams: rail freight, switching services, railcar storage, locomotive and railcar repair at Brewster, industrial development (track and land leases), and monthly mileage- and revenue-based fuel surcharges tied to WTI and HDF indices. Customers are vertically segmented into Oil & Gas (Marcellus/Utica shale), Agriculture & Food Processing, Chemicals & Plastics, Steel & Metals, Aggregates & Construction Materials, and Lumber & Wood Products, with anchor shippers including Hanson Aggregates (35,000+ annual carloads of crushed limestone), Timken, Republic Engineered Products, Acero Junction, Sunrise Cooperative, and Case Farms. In December 2025, Fortress Investment Group / FTAI Infrastructure acquired W&LE, integrating it into the Transtar portfolio of six Class III railroads with targeted $20M annual cost savings and $50M revenue synergies.

Name

Wheeling and Lake Erie Railway Company

Legal name

Wheeling & Lake Erie Railway Company

Website

https://wlerwy.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1871

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Wheeling & Lake Erie Railway is a Class III regional freight railroad operating 840 miles of track across Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Maryland, moving 140,000+ carloads annually for 135+ industrial customers in aggregates, grain, steel, chemicals, and shale energy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Regional Rail Freight Transportation

NAICS

Line-Haul Railroads (482111), Short Line Railroads (482112)

SIC

Railroads, Line-Haul Operating (4011)

akta.pro primary industry

Rail Terminal Switching, Shunting & Yard Locomotive Services (TLAJAFAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Agricultural Bulk Commodities Transport (Grain/Oilseeds/Feed) (TLADAKAD), Coal & Coke Transport (TLADAKAF), Coal Logistics & Transportation (Rail, Barge, Truck, Port Interface) (IMAKAIAJ)

Keywords

• Regional freight rail
• Rail freight transportation
• Rail switching services
• Locomotive railcar repair
• Industrial rail development

Headquarters

HQ city

Brewster

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Rail Freight Transportation: Core freight rail transportation services moving over 140,000 carloads annually across 840 miles of track serving Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Maryland. Revenue generated through tariff rates for freight carriage.
2. Switching Services: Seven day-a-week switching services including train assembly/disassembly, car storage and classification at various interchange locations
3. Railcar Storage: Short and long-term storage for loaded and empty railcars at various locations on W&LE system
4. Locomotive & Railcar Repair: Full-service repair shop at Brewster offering locomotive and freight car repairs, rebuilding, and fabrication services to W&LE and other railroads
5. Industrial Development & Real Estate: Track leases, land leases, and industrial development services for customers building facilities on or near W&LE right-of-way
6. Fuel Surcharges: Revenue-based and mileage-based fuel surcharges applied to freight tariffs per WE 40561 and WE 40663

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Wheeling and Lake Erie Railway Company operates a regional freight railroad providing rail freight transportation across 840 miles of track in Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Maryland. The company moves over 140,000 carloads annually of commodities including aggregates, coal, sand, chemicals, food/grain, lumber, metals, and petroleum products, supplemented by switching services, railcar storage, locomotive and railcar repair at the Brewster Shop Complex, and industrial development services for rail-served facility siting.

Product overview

Wheeling & Lake Erie Railway Company (W&LE) operates as a regional freight railroad offering a unified rail freight transport platform. The core product portfolio centers on Railway Freight Services encompassing commodities transport (sand, minerals, coal, lumber, food/grain, chemicals, petroleum, metals, paper, aggregates, dimensional loads), supported by auxiliary services including switching, railcar storage, routing options, locomotive/railcar repair, and industrial development. The company also operates ABC Railway as a subsidiary terminal switching carrier and manages the Warrenton River Terminal for multi-modal transloading. With over 840 miles of track serving Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Maryland, W&LE handles approximately 140,000 carloads annually through interchanges with three Class I carriers (CSXT, NS, CN) and 14 regional/shortline railroads.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Railway Freight Services Core freight rail transportation services across 840 miles of track in Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Maryland, with connections to three Class I railroads (CSX, NS, CN) and 14 regional and shortline carriers, handling over 140,000 carloads annually.
• Commodities Transport Transportation of bulk commodities including sand/minerals/coal, lumber, food/grain, bulk chemicals/resins, petroleum products, dimensional loads, aggregates, metals, and paper products.
• Switching Services Seven-day-a-week railroad switching services including train assembly and disassembly, storing and classifying cars for customers at various interchange locations.
• Railcar Storage Short and long-term storage solutions for both loaded and empty railcars at various locations across the W&LE rail network.
• Routing Options Interchange routing services with three Class I carriers (CSXT, NS, CN) and 14 Class II/III railroads for cost-effective and efficient routing of freight.
• Locomotive and Railcar Repair Repair and maintenance services for locomotives and freight cars at the 140,000+ square foot Brewster Shop Complex, including locomotive repair, car repair, and fabrication services to W&LE and other railroads.
• ABC Railway (Akron Barberton Cluster Railway) Class III terminal switching carrier serving the greater Akron, Ohio area, operating 11,000+ carloads annually with direct interchange with CSXT and W&LE, serving 25 customers across 11,000+ carloads.
• Industrial Development Services Property location, track leases, and land leases for companies seeking rail access sites across Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Maryland.
• Warrenton River Terminal Multi-modal transload facility on the Ohio River in Rayland, OH with 200 acres, 8,000 feet of track, and over 2 MT bulk storage capacity for commodities transloading between barge, rail, and truck.
• Marcellus and Utica Shale Services Specialized rail services for oil and gas industry operations including NGLs, frac sand, pipes, and machinery transportation across the Marcellus and Utica Shale regions.

Quantifiable outcome

• 140,000+ carloads transported annually
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Pennsylvania Department of TransportationminorOthers · 24 January 2026PennDOT awarded $5.9 million to W&LE to rehabilitate three rail bridges in Washington County, Pennsylvania under RTAP and RFAP programs. Part of $53 million awarded across 30 rail infrastructure grants.
• Akron Barberton Cluster RailwaycoreOthersABC Railway is a Class III terminal switching carrier, wholly-owned subsidiary of The Wheeling Corporation since 1994. Serves greater Akron area with 25 customers, 11,000 carloads, operating 2 locomotives with 10 employees. Interchanges with CSXT at Barberton and W&LE at Akron.
• Warrenton River Terminal LLCminorOthersWRT acquired by affiliates of Robindale Energy Services and Pickands Mather Group. 200-acre facility at MP 80.9 on Ohio River in Rayland, OH with 8,000+ feet of track, 2MT storage. Solely served by W&LE with connectivity to NS, CSX, CN, and short line carriers.
• Robindale Energy ServicesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliate owner of Warrenton River Terminal LLC multi-modal transload facility.
• Pickands Mather GroupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliate owner of Warrenton River Terminal LLC multi-modal transload facility.
• Canadian National Railway (CN)coreTechnology or IntegrationDirect Class I connection at Lang, OH (Toledo) enabling interchange for competitive rail rates and extended network reach.
• CSX Transportation (CSXT)coreTechnology or IntegrationDirect Class I connection at multiple points: Akron, Benwood WV, Connellsville PA, Greenwich OH, Wellington OH. Provides access to extensive eastern US rail network.
• Norfolk Southern (NS)coreTechnology or IntegrationDirect Class I connection at Bellevue, Canton, Clairton PA, Hagerstown MD, Mingo Jct OH. Critical connectivity for midwest-eastern corridor traffic.
• ASW GlobalminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTransload partner at Mogadore, OH with storage for 172 covered hoppers and 500,000 sq ft warehouse for chemical/resin packaging, blending, and crossdocking services.
• Amware Distribution WarehouseminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTransload partner at Akron, OH with storage for 150 covered hoppers and 366,000 sq ft warehouse for chemical/resin storage, packaging, and blending.
• Peoples ServicesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTransload partner with facilities at Barberton and Massillon, OH. Massillon has 100,000 sq ft FDA-certified warehouse, 25 rail car spots, truck scale and wash. Barberton has 50 rail car spots, steaming capability, spill containment.
• Cotter Merchandise StorageminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTransload partner at Akron, OH with 366,000 sq ft warehouse for paper product storage and transloading with indoor box car loading/unloading.
• Eastwood ManufacturingminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLumber reload and warehouse at Orrville, OH equipped for rail-to-truck and truck-to-rail shipments. Handles box cars and center beam flat cars with indoor/outdoor storage.
• Savage Safe HandlingminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor60-acre lumber transload facility at New Stanton, PA with 90 car spots, 4 acres outdoor storage, 20,000 sq ft lumber shed, and 30,000 sq ft cross-dock. Served through SWP switch.
• Bellaire Harbor ServiceminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTransload and riverport at Bellaire, OH adjacent to Ohio River with 50-car railcar capacity. Handles aggregates, coal, fertilizer, salt, scrap iron, steel coils, and bulk materials.
• Sunrise CooperativeminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOne of Ohio's largest grain terminals at Clarksfield with 7+ million bushel storage, 100-car track space. Loads unit trains for CN, CSXT, and NS destinations. Also operates three other grain facilities on W&LE.
• Operation LifesaverminorOthersNonprofit public education partnership dedicated to preventing fatalities and injuries on/near railroad property. Conducts enforcement trains and mock train-bus collision training with law enforcement and emergency responders.
• TRANSCAERminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTransportation Community Awareness and Emergency Response partnership providing hazardous materials transportation incident training for local fire, police, and emergency personnel.
• Emergency Response Training Center (Pueblo, CO)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdvanced hazardous materials training provider for W&LE personnel at Tank Car Specialist, Advanced Tank Car Specialist, Operations, and Technician levels.
• University of Findlay School of Environmental & Emergency ManagementminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdvanced hazmat training provider for W&LE personnel in emergency management.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Genesee & Wyoming Inc. One of the largest North American regional/short line railroad operators with similar commodity mix across multiple states. Operates over 100 short line and regional railroads serving industrial customers in the same verticals as W&LE.
• RJ Corman Railroad Group: Regional railroad operator with multiple short line properties serving coal, aggregates, agriculture, and industrial customers in the eastern U.S., including connections to W&LE's network.
• Indiana & Ohio Railway: Regional railroad operating in Ohio and Michigan, currently part of Genesee & Wyoming. Interchanges with W&LE and serves similar industrial commodity verticals.
• Mahoning Valley Railway: Short line railroad in northeastern Ohio's Mahoning Valley region, interchanging with W&LE and serving similar industrial customers in steel and aggregates.
• Southwest Pennsylvania Railroad: Short line railroad operating in southwestern Pennsylvania, interchanging with W&LE and serving coal, aggregates, and lumber customers in overlapping territory.
• Union Railroad Company: Regional railroad in Pennsylvania and the Transtar portfolio alongside W&LE. Sister railroad under Fortress/FTAI Infrastructure ownership, serving steel mills and industrial customers with similar commodity mix.
• Allegheny Valley Railroad: Short line railroad operating in western Pennsylvania, interchanging with W&LE and serving similar coal, aggregates, and industrial customers in the greater Pittsburgh region.

Broad incumbents

• CSX Transportation: Class I railroad operating throughout the eastern U.S. with multiple interchange points with W&LE. Provides direct competition for long-haul freight while also serving as a key Class I partner.
• Norfolk Southern: Class I railroad in the eastern U.S. and former owner of W&LE. Interchanges at Bellevue, Canton, Clairton PA, Hagerstown MD, and Mingo Jct OH, providing critical connectivity and competing for long-haul freight.
• Canadian National Railway (CN): Class I railroad connecting to W&LE at Lang, OH (Toledo), providing access to Canadian and Midwest markets. Class I interchange partner that competes for long-haul lanes.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses3 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/wheeling-and-lake-erie-railway-company-143635186400
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wheeling-and-lake-erie-railway-company
• Instagraminstagram.com/WLERWY

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles21 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Wheeling and Lake Erie Railway Company