USA: Short line group Patriot Rail is to relaunch the former Alderman Railcar Services wagon repair and cleaning business under the name Blue Ridge Railcar Repair during February, having acquired the assets at the end of 2013 after Alderman entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings.
The workshop in in Keysville, Virginia, has painting and blast capabilities and siding capacity for up to 130 wagons. It is certified as meeting the Association of American Railroads' M-1003 quality assurance standard.
Patriot said it is anticipating a shortage of certified wagon repair facilities across North America. 'We are excited about this investment, as it supports Patriot Rail's long-term strategy to expand the mechanical repair services within the rail industry', said President & CEO John Fenton. 'Our operational strategy for Blue Ridge is designed to provide fleet owners with a network that delivers consistent, high-quality and responsive maintenance services that will reduce overall fleet downtime.'
