NORFOLK, Va., Sept. 28, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Trains hauling sand used in extracting natural gas from the Marcellus Shale formation soon will have the ability to unload five times faster thanks to a $20 million upgrade at the Horseheads (N.Y.) Sand & Transloading Terminal (HOST).

Owned and operated by Carriage House Partners and RLB Holdings, HOST is in the final stages of constructing a 90,000-square-foot transloading building, scheduled to be completed by Oct. 8. HOST also broke ground this month on a second 90,000-square-foot transloading facility to be opened in 2013, and both buildings are designed for the storage of sand. When completed, these new facilities will allow Norfolk Southern trains to unload 100 freight cars within 48 hours.

"HOST soon will be the premier Marcellus Shale distribution center in the Northeast," said David T. Lawson, NS' vice president industrial products. "The upgrades made to this site will enhance Norfolk Southern's ability to serve Marcellus Shale customers safely and expeditiously, while providing for growth in coming years."

HOST is strategically located about two miles from Interstate 86 and covers more than 200 acres of a former military base.

"HOST is committed to making this facility a 'best in class' leader in servicing the natural gas industry with warehousing, more than 2 million square feet of storage, and more than five miles of rail at the site," said Ray Bartoszek, managing partner of HOST.

Norfolk Southern has served the terminal since 2009, when the railroad unloaded 104 cars there. During 2010 and 2011, the number of cars increased to 1,800 and 2,600 respectively, while 1,400 cars have been unloaded through the first half 2012.

Norfolk Southern Corporation is one of the nation's premier transportation companies. Its Norfolk Southern Railway subsidiary operates approximately 20,000 route miles in 22 states and the District of Columbia, serves every major container port in the eastern United States, and provides efficient connections to other rail carriers. Norfolk Southern operates the most extensive intermodal network in the East and is a major transporter of coal and industrial products.

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SOURCE Norfolk Southern Corporation