Short-line railroad investments support more efficient and reliable logistics for steel coil and manufacturing supply chains.

Anacostia Rail Holdings (ARH) is pleased to announce that its Chicago South Shore and South Bend Railroad (CSS) has purchased and accepted delivery of 100 new rail cars purpose-built for steel coil shipments.

The order was placed with two North American railcar manufacturers, each supplying 50 cars. The builders are The Greenbrier Companies and National Steel Car. The 48-foot, 115-ton capacity, transverse-style cars can each hold up to five steel coils. The cars are equipped with covers for all-weather transport, and their transverse troughs hold coils securely in place with no need for dunnage or blocking.


This purchase will bring the size of the CSS rail car fleet to nearly 700 cars.

“For the second time since 2007, CSS has made a significant investment by purchasing coil steel cars to support our customers’ growth,” says CSS President Todd Bjornstad. “By adding these cars to our leased fleet, we have greater control of the equipment to support our customers with safer, more efficient, and greener rail shipping options.”

Faster turnarounds
CSS serves coil steel producers in the Midwest including Cleveland-Cliffs, Inc. at Burns Harbor, IN and U.S. Steel’s Midwest Plant in Portage, IN. The cars will transport shipments moving to locations all across the North American rail network with ready interchange to all Class I railroads and many other short line and regional railroads. Because the equipment is owned by CSS, it will be immediately available for customers to reload as soon as it returns from a previous delivery.

Peter Gilbertson, ARH CEO and President says, “ARH is pleased to leverage its strong financial position to provide funds for this purchase by CSS, which is one of six railroads in our U.S. network. We provide our customers with responsive last- and first-mile services that are critical to successful long-haul rail shipping. We are excited about this purchase, which will provide added value to our customers’ supply chains.”