CG Railway, LLC (CGR), a joint venture between Genesee & Wyoming Inc. and SEACOR Holdings Inc., on Tuesday (Sep28) announced that its new, state-of-the-art rail ferry, the Cherokee, completed its maiden roundtrip voyage with record results for transportation speed and railcar volumes.
The Cherokee departed the Port of Mobile in Alabama on September 12, 2021, hauling 122 railcars and arrived at the Port of Coatzacoalcos in Veracruz, Mexico, on September 15, 2021. The vessel began its return trip from Coatzacoalcos on September 18, 2021, with 130 railcars onboard and docked in Mobile three days later.
The Cherokee measures 590 feet in length and is designed to carry up to 135 railcars, a 17% capacity increase per sailing compared to CGR’s previous rail ferries.
“We are extremely pleased with the Cherokee’s performance during its maiden voyage,” said Todd Biscan, CGR vice president of sales and marketing. “The rail ferry transported more than 22,500 tons of diverse commodities, including chemicals, plastics, pulp and paper, agricultural products and food. CGR is excited to enhance service quality to customers and safely move railcars from the U.S. to Southern Mexico in three days with customs cleared en route.”
CGR also took delivery of an identical second new rail ferry, the Mayan, on September 22, 2021, which is expected to enter into service in December and replace CGR’s existing vessel, the BANDA SEA. Until then, the BANDA SEA will continue to operate alongside the Cherokee to provide steady service to customers.
“Offering greater capacity and more sailings per week between the Southeast U.S. and Mexico, CGR service is better than ever,” said CGR President Hoffman Lijeron. “In addition, both the Cherokee and Mayan will generate lower CO2 emissions than land alternatives and our legacy ferries. These collective benefits provide a long-term, sustainable supply chain solution for existing and prospective customers.”