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Oct 2, 2012 3:25 PM

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 (NY) 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 October 8. HOST also broke ground in September 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," says David T Lawson, Norfolk Southern Railroad’s 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 two million square feet of storage, and more than five miles of rail at the site," says Ray Bartoszek, managing partner of HOST.