Dover & Rockaway (D&R) River Railroad has secured a five-year railroad operations management contract from the Morris County Board of Freeholders in the US to operate three rail lines.
The new deal will see D&R replace Morristown & Erie Railway to operate the Dover & Rockaway, High Bridge Branch and the Chester Branch freight lines.
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Morristown & Erie Railway has been operating the county’s rail system alone since the county took ownership of the lines 30 years ago.
Morris County’s rail operations contract with Morristown & Erie Railway was set to run for a period of five years and is scheduled to end on 30 June.
Morris County Board of Freeholders received two proposals for this contract last month, which were reviewed by an evaluation committee.
The committee considered various factors, including the ability to provide rail services, project management, and resources and professional qualifications, as well as past experience regarding operation, marketing, maintenance, and accident notification plans.
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By GlobalDataThe contract was ultimately awarded to D&R, which has pledged to ensure its marketing team visit every rail-adjacent business on the county’s rail lines in order to commercialise potential benefits of freight rail service.
D&R mentioned in its proposal that it has marketing associations with Norfolk Southern, CSX, and Union Pacific. It also runs the Black River Railroad and the Belvidere & Delaware River Railway.
The company has also pledged not to store hazardous materials on the county’s rail lines as part of the arrangement.
Morris County owns the three freight railroads, which together comprise more than 17 miles of track.
