Grenada

Company History: The GRYR was established in 2009 by the V&S Railway shortline group to acquire the 187 mile former Illinois Central Grenada District between Southaven (on the outskirts of Memphis) and Canton, Mississippi (just north of Jackson.) This had been the route used by IC’s City of New Orleans and Panama Limited while through freights took the lower grade but parallel Yazoo District to the west. The northern half of the line had some traffic but GRYR has applied to abandon the Canton end for lack of business and issues with bridges. GRYR later joined the Iowa Pacific shortline group and in 2018 IP sold it to International Rail Partners – a new shortline holding company established by Gary Marino, one of the founders of RailAmerica. At this point Grenada Railway became Grenada Railroad. Marino had said he intended to return service to the southern end of the line and upgrade the line to 40mph operation. In 2018 International Rail Partners teamed up with an investment group to form a new shortline group called RailUSA and Grenada Railroad was transferred to the new group. Traffic includes chemicals, flour, lumber, paper, petroleum, plastics and ties.

Successor/Parent History: Acquiring and Operating Short Line and Regional Railroads For Over 40 Years. Short line railroads are a critical part of the U.S. freight network. The nation’s 603 short lines provide service for one in five cars moving each year. Operating 47,500 route miles, or 29% of freight rail in the U.S., these small business railroad entities play a vital role in the hub-and-spoke transportation network, providing the connection between farmers, manufacturers and other industries, and ultimately, the consumer. For large areas of rural and small town America, short line and regional railroads are the only way shippers can be directly connected to the national network, helping business and employment stay local.

Brief History: The U.S. is a country of 50 states covering a vast swath of North America, with Alaska in the northwest and Hawaii extending the nation’s presence into the Pacific Ocean. Major Atlantic Coast cities are New York, a global finance and culture center, and capital Washington, DC. Midwestern metropolis Chicago is known for influential architecture and on the west coast, Los Angeles' Hollywood is famed for filmmaking.