SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Pacific Imperial Railroad, Inc. (PIR) announced today that it has entered into a Services Agreement with J.L. Patterson & Associates, Inc., a California corporation (“JLP”). Under the agreement, JLP will provide a Bridge Management Program, inspect 57 bridges, inspect 17 tunnels, and provide a track inspection of the Desert Line. Additionally, JLP will provide oversight during the test train operations in compliance with PIR’s agreement with the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS).
“We are extremely excited to have JL Patterson, a recognized leader in rail transportation engineering, providing design, bridge, tunnel, and track inspections on our Desert Line,” said PIR President, Donald J. Stoecklein.
Ernie Dahlman, CEO of PIR, stated, “once these inspections are implemented, we are prepared to immediately commence reconstruction activities on the Desert Line.” Mr. Dahlman additionally indicated that this is a major hurdle in effectuating an operational rail system on the Desert Line, allowing for the transportation of significant freight from the Maquilatropolis®.
ABOUT J.L. PATTERSON & ASSOCIATES, INC.
Headquartered in Orange, CA, JLP provides engineering and construction management to a variety of clients within the rail industry, including Class 1 railroads such as Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) and Union Pacific (UP), in addition to rail transit agencies (www.jlpatterson.com).
ABOUT PACIFIC IMPERIAL RAILROAD
PIR is the only company providing railroad freight services on the Desert Line, servicing the Tijuana-Tecate region of Baja California, Mexico and eastern San Diego County, as a result of signing a 99-year lease with San Diego and Arizona Railroad (SD&AE) and San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS). The Desert Line joins BNSF and San Diego and Imperial Railroads at the southwesterly tip of San Diego County, USA with the UP Line from El Centro, California. In total, the railway system is approximately 130 miles long, consisting of track incorporating over 57 bridges and tunnels and the Desert Line. It is the only rail line that runs directly adjacent to approximately 755 manufacturing facilities (known as maquiladoras), or the Maquilatropolis®, which is approximately 14 miles south of the US-Mexico Border.
