New grain facility on BNSF will give producers year-round, greater market access
By SUSAN GREEN
Staff Writer
As the adage goes, when one door closes, another opens. In this case, the closed door was a former rail-loading frac sand site in Hager City, Wisconsin, that supported the extraction of oil and gas. As demand within the Wisconsin sand market evolved, the facility remained unused for several years.
When ALCIVIA, a member-owned agricultural and energy co-op, came knocking, BNSF was excited to begin a new partnership – and the door opened for a new state-of-the-art rail loading grain terminal. That new facility celebrated completion of construction with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on March 12.
The site is located on 40 acres with more than 20,000 linear feet of BNSF mainline track, which will allow the facility to reach markets across our 32,500-mile network when the new facility is fully operational later this spring.
With access to year-round rail shipping, ALCIVIA will have the flexibility to sell and move grain during the winter months when other terminals are closed. “As we look to bring solutions to producers, we can’t express how important it is to give them market access 12 months out of the year instead of four to five months,” said ALCIVIA CEO and President Jim Dell.
Features of the new grain facility include upright grain storage space for 3.9 million bushels serviced by two 4,700-bushel per hour grain dryers and three 1,500-bushel capacity dump pits that will move grain at a combined handling speed of 60,000 bushels per hour.
Once the grain – mainly corn and soybean – is ready for market, BNSF shuttle trains, made up of approximately 110-116 hopper cars, will enter the facility for loading, which will take about 10 hours. From Hager City, the BNSF trains will move primarily west to Texas and California.
“In collaboration with ALCIVIA, BNSF used our rail development expertise to ensure seamless integration into our network by meeting specific safety, engineering and operational needs,” said Group Vice President of Agriculture & Energy Angela Caddell of the in-facility tracks. “ALCIVIA will maintain the track it owns with BNSF working alongside them to uphold common standards for safe, continuous operations.”
With destinations across the nation and Mexico, BNSF handles more agricultural product shipments than any other U.S. railroad and has partnered with American grain producers for over 170 years, helping American farmers remain globally competitive.
This facility will not only give farmers that year-round rail shipping -- they’ll also benefit in other ways. “We used to haul our grain as far as Claremont, Minnesota, which is an hour and a half one way,” said local farmer Don Schroeder. “Having this terminal nearby means less time on the road, lower fuel costs and reduced wear and tear on our trucks.”
Spending less time in the cab will also mean Schroeder and other farmers will have a better chance of getting home in time for dinner.
