GREENWICH, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Genesee & Wyoming Inc. (GWI) (NYSE: GWR) today announced the reopening of the Edith River Bridge in Australia’s Northern Territory following the December 27th derailment of a Genesee & Wyoming Australia Pty Ltd (GWA) freight train in flood waters associated with Cyclone Grant. Successful testing and validation of the bridge structure under various axle loads commenced Friday, February 24, and regular service to Darwin will resume on Wednesday, February 29.
Over the past week, the river receded to a level that permitted three intermodal containers that remained in the river to be removed safely and without incident. The river banks were patrolled and cleaned of debris for five kilometres downstream of the bridge. GWA will continue to monitor the site and, if needed, conduct further cleanups as water levels decline over the coming months.
The bridge reopening was twice delayed by discovery during the repair process of hidden damage to the bridge structure, which required additional strengthening and restoration work.
About GWA
A wholly owned subsidiary of GWI, GWA operates nearly 5,000 km of track in South Australia and the Northern Territory and provides intrastate haulage of bulk commodities including grain, steel, gypsum and minerals as well as short-haul shunting and terminal operations. An accredited rail-service provider in six states (all but Tasmania), GWA has more than 300 employees, 70 locomotives and 950 active freight wagons. GWA operates between South Australia and the Port of Darwin over the 2,200 km Tarcoola to Darwin rail line, which links the Port of Darwin with the Australian interstate rail network in South Australia.
About GWI
GWI owns and operates short line and regional freight railroads and provides railcar switching services in the United States, Australia, Canada, the Netherlands and Belgium. In addition, we operate the Tarcoola to Darwin rail line, which links the Port of Darwin with the Australian interstate rail network in South Australia. Operations currently include 65 railroads organized in 10 regions, with more than 7,600 miles of owned and leased track and approximately 1,400 additional miles under track access arrangements. We provide rail service at 17 ports in North America and Europe and perform contract coal loading and railcar switching for industrial customers.
"Safe Harbor" Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Statements in this press release regarding Genesee & Wyoming's business which are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements" that involve risks and uncertainties. For a discussion of such risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, see "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report or Form 10-K for the most recently ended fiscal year.