JOPLIN, Mo., Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Kinston Railroad (KNR), a wholly owned subsidiary of Jaguar Transport Holdings (Jaguar), began rail operations on Aug. 1. KNR acquired leasehold rights to approximately 6 miles of track owned by the N.C. Department of Transportation (NCDOT). The railroad will interchange with Norfolk Southern in Kinston, N.C., and terminates at North Carolina Global TransPark, a 2,500-acre multi-modal industrial and business park.
“We are excited for the opportunity to establish our second operation in North Carolina and grow our partnership with NCDOT,” said Stu Towner, CEO of Jaguar. “Connected to a modern industrial park and located in close proximity to multiple deep-water ports, we think this railroad will allow us to provide excellent service to current and future customers and earn the right to grow alongside them and the local community.”
Kinston is the ninth shortline railroad for Jaguar, who has partnered with OPTrust, one of Canada’s largest pension plans. Other Jaguar railroads include Charlotte Western Railroad, Missouri Eastern Railroad, Cimarron Valley Railroad, Southwestern Railroad, Washington Eastern Railroad, Oregon Eastern Railroad, Texas Eastern Railroad, and West Memphis Base Railroad.
Jaguar is a transportation and logistics company headquartered in Joplin, MO. Since 2018, Jaguar has focused on safety, team culture, service to customers, and innovation to help drive its growth. Jaguar operates nine short line railroads and multiple other rail served sites across the United States. Jaguar is partnered with OPSEU Pension Plan Trust Fund (“OPTrust”), which invests and manages one of Canada’s largest pension funds and has significant experience investing in the surface transportation and logistics space. For more information, please visit www.jag-transport.com.
With net assets of over $25 billion, OPTrust invests and manages one of Canada’s largest pension funds and administers the OPSEU Pension Plan (including OPTrust Select), a defined benefit plan with over 100,000 members. OPTrust is a global investor in a broad range of asset classes including Canadian and foreign equities, fixed income, real estate, infrastructure and private markets, and has a team of highly experienced investment professionals located in Toronto, London and Sydney.