Rochester & Erie Railway, Llc

What Rochester & Erie Railway, Llc does

Rochester & Erie Railway, LLC (RER) is a privately held short line railroad founded in April 2023 and domiciled in Indiana. RER operates as the contracted operator of the Fulton County Railroad, which owns the underlying 11 miles of track between Rochester and Argos, Indiana. The company interchanges daily with Norfolk Southern Railway at Argos, providing same-day movement of most carloads onward to Fort Wayne, IN. Its core technical asset is a 286,000-lb capacity rail line backed by ongoing capital improvements, including over 5,000 ties installed in Phase 1 and 2,500+ additional ties underway in Phase 2 under successive INDOT grants.

RER's product portfolio spans four service lines: rail transportation on its 11-mile line, transload services at a dedicated terminal at 174 Fulton Ave in Rochester (rail-to-truck integration), rail car storage with 100+ spots for short- and long-term needs, and industrial development services including rail-served real estate such as the 1400 Wabash Ave. site. The company also publishes STB-regulated tariffs (RER 8000 and RER 9000). Customers are primarily mid-market industrial shippers in North Central Indiana across metal recycling, grain/milling, chemicals, and manufacturing, with named relationships including Lewis Salvage, Prairie Mills, Reagan Chemical, Cedar, Steel Dynamics, Rochester Iron & Metal, and Mainstay. Norfolk Southern and Fulton County Railroad function as operational partners rather than end customers.

The business model is a hybrid of transaction-based fees for rail transportation and transload, recurring/subscription pricing for rail car storage, and project-based professional services for industrial development; specific rates are quote-based and not publicly disclosed. Distribution is direct B2B via the company's own infrastructure and personnel, with a sales-led GTM organized around dedicated contacts for Sales & Marketing, Operations, and Engineering & Real Estate. In February 2025, RER was named Railway Age's 2025 Short Line Railroad of the Year, validating the operational turnaround that delivered a 127% increase in carloads (from approximately 300 in 2022 to 687 in 2023) and continued volume growth to 715 carloads by September 2024, alongside a service-frequency increase from two to five days per week.

Name

Rochester & Erie Railway, Llc

Legal name

Rochester & Erie Railway LLC

Website

https://rochesteranderie.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Rochester & Erie Railway is a short line railroad operating an 11-mile corridor between Rochester and Argos, Indiana, providing rail transportation, transload, rail car storage, and industrial development services to manufacturers and shippers in North Central Indiana.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Short Line Railroad Services

NAICS

Short Line Railroads (482112), Support Activities for Rail Transportation (4882)

SIC

Railroads, Line-Haul Operating (4011), Railroad Switching & Terminal Establishments (4013)

akta.pro primary industry

Short Line & Regional Railroads (General Merchandise) (TLADACAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Intermodal Terminal Operations (Rail Ramps/Port Intermodal Yards) (TLADAFAE)

Keywords

• Short line railroad
• Rail transportation services
• Transload services
• Rail car storage
• Industrial rail development

Headquarters

HQ city

Rochester

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Rail Transportation Services: Core rail transportation services for manufacturers and shippers, operating 11 miles of track between Rochester and Argos, IN with 5-day-per-week service frequency
2. Transload Services: Seamless integration between rail and truck transportation modes, facilitating efficient transfer of goods with dedicated team handling products throughout transloading process
3. Industrial Development: Projects enhancing rail infrastructure and services at industrial sites, including 1400 Wabash Ave. development in Rochester, IN
4. Rail Car Storage: Secure and flexible rail car storage options offering 100+ rail car spots for short-term and long-term storage needs

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Rochester & Erie Railway is a short line railroad operating 11 miles of track between Rochester and Argos, Indiana, providing rail freight transportation with 286k-capable interchange to Norfolk Southern. The company also offers transload services between rail and truck, rail car storage (100+ spots), and industrial development support for rail-served facilities. Services run five days per week and target manufacturers and shippers in North Central Indiana.

Product overview

Rochester & Erie Railway (RER) is a shortline railroad operating as a contracted operator of the Fulton County Railroad (FC), providing a unified portfolio of rail and logistics services. The core offering consists of Rail Transportation (11-mile line between Rochester and Argos, IN with Norfolk Southern interchange), Transload Services (rail-to-truck transfer), Rail Car Storage (100+ spots), and Industrial Development (rail-served real estate). Tariff documentation services (RER 8000 and RER 9000) support regulatory compliance. All services are positioned for manufacturers and shippers in North Central Indiana with a focus on safety and customer service.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Rail Transportation Rail freight transportation service operating over 11 miles between Rochester and Argos, IN, with 286,000 lb capacity and interchange to Norfolk Southern Railway at Argos. Service runs five days per week and is designed for manufacturers and shippers moving bulk commodities.
• Transload Services Transload services providing seamless integration between rail and truck transportation modes at 174 Fulton Ave, Rochester, IN. A dedicated team handles products throughout the transloading process to facilitate efficient transfer of goods between railcars and trucks.
• Industrial Development
• Rail Car Storage

Quantifiable outcome

• 127% increase in carload volume (from ~300 to 687 carloads) within first 9 months of operation
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Fulton County RailroadcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2023RER serves as the contracted operator of the Fulton County Railroad (FC), which owns approximately 11 miles of track running from Rochester to Argos, Indiana. This operational partnership began in April 2023 and has driven significant service improvements including increased service frequency from 2 to 5 days per week.
• Norfolk Southern RailwaycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2023Norfolk Southern provides daily interchange service in Argos, IN. This partnership ensures most carloads move the same day to Fort Wayne, IN after being pulled from industry, with high car velocity and minimal dwell times optimizing operations.
• INDOT (Indiana Department of Transportation)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2023INDOT has awarded multiple grant projects to RER for track improvements: Phase 1 involved installing 5,000+ ties across 6 miles (completed in 9 months); Phase 2 (currently underway) will install 2,500+ ties over 4 more miles. These safety and reliability enhancements demonstrate public-private partnership.
• Rochester Iron & MetalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRER collaborated with Rochester Iron & Metal to construct an additional industry track equipped with a rail scale and extra switch, facilitating access to the facility from both ends and improving loading efficiency for this key customer.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Anacostia Rail Holdings: Short line holding company operating multiple Class II/III railroads with similar line-haul and industrial switching profiles; comparable in customer mix (industrial shippers, transload) and network scale to RER.
• OmniTRAX: Short line operator and logistics provider offering rail transportation, transload, and industrial development services across North America, with a comparable product portfolio to RER (line-haul, transload, storage, real estate).
• Regional Rail LLC: Owner-operator of multiple short line railroads in the U.S. (including Great Sandhills Railway, a 2025 Railway Age Short Line Honorable Mention), making it a directly comparable short line holding-company peer to RER in scale and operating model.
• R.J. Corman Railroad Group: Operates a portfolio of short line and regional railroads (including the 2025 Honorable Mention R.J. Corman West Virginia Line) providing transload, industrial switching, and rail-served development services similar to RER's offerings.
• Pinsly Railroad Company: Family-owned operator of multiple short line railroads in the U.S., closely comparable to RER's founder/operator-owned structure, line-haul and switching services, and industrial customer focus.

Regional players

• Indiana Rail Road Company: Regional railroad operating in Indiana with similar end-market exposure (grain, industrial, intermodal) and Norfolk Southern interchange relationships; directly comparable as an in-state regional rail peer.

Broad incumbents

• WATCO Companies: Large U.S. short line holding company operating dozens of railroads plus transload and industrial switching services. RER's CCO previously held multiple operating and commercial roles at WATCO, making it a directly comparable incumbent peer.
• Genesee & Wyoming Inc. One of the largest short line and regional rail operators in North America; parent of the 2025 Honorable Mention Columbus & Ohio River (CUOH). It is a broad incumbent peer in the same short line operating category as RER, with several of RER's leaders having previously worked at G&W.
• Iowa Interstate Railroad: Co-recipient of the Railway Age 2025 Regional Railroad of the Year award alongside RER's Short Line award; a directly comparable regional operator with industrial development and Class 1 interchange operations.

Others

• Fortress Investment Group (Brightline/Itinera short line portfolio): Through affiliated entities, has historically held and operated short line and regional railroads in the U.S.; a capital-provider and adjacent infrastructure owner comparable in strategic role to INDOT for RER.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rochester-erie-railway-llc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

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 Rochester & Erie Railway, Llc