Missouri Eastern Railroad (MER), a wholly owned subsidiary of Jaguar Transport Holdings (Jaguar), began rail operations on March 1, 2022. In January 2022, MER acquired approximately 42 miles of track located in the western portion of the St. Louis metropolitan area. In February 2022, it acquired leasehold rights to approximately 9 miles of adjacent track owned by Union Pacific. MER's operations run from just west of Union, Missouri to Overland, Missouri where it interchanges with the Terminal Railroad of St. Louis.
"We are excited for the opportunity to begin serving customers in the St. Louis area," said Stu Towner, CEO of Jaguar. "The railroad's location in the center of the country with access to six class I railroads, multiple interstate highways, and the Mississippi River offers current and future customers tremendous reach across the United States."
Missouri Eastern is the seventh shortline railroad for Jaguar, who has partnered with OPTrust, one of Canada's largest pension plans. Other Jaguar railroads include Cimarron Valley Railroad, Southwestern Railroad, Washington Eastern Railroad, Oregon Eastern Railroad, Texas Eastern Railroad, and West Memphis Base Railroad.
