Our History
The Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis (TRRA) was created in 1889 to satisfy the need for an efficient, safe, and economical method of interchanging rail traffic through the vitally important railroad hub of St. Louis, Missouri, known as the "Gateway to the West."
Since that time, we have grown to become one of the largest intermediate switching terminal railroads in the United States interchanging with all six of the nation’s Class I railroads.
Our Capabilities
Located in the center of the heartland, TRRA serves as one of the major nodes of the North American railway system. Our yard services cover the following categories:
- Switching Services
- Car Repair & Mechanical Locomotive Services
- Industrial Development
- Car Storage
- We serve over 70 industrial customers in the St. Louis
metropolitan region, working directly with them to develop custom rail
solutions to meet their product delivery needs and challenges.
- In addition to our five Class I owners, TRRA services several local and national rail companies, notably Amtrak, as well as subsidiaries of Canadian Pacific Kansas City Ltd, the sixth and final Class I railroad in North America.
- TRRA owns, operates or controls:
- Over 200 miles of track
with the most major rail interlockers throughout the St. Louis metropolitan
area
- The only two freight bridges over the Mississippi River in St. Louis (Merchants Bridge and MacArthur Bridge)
- A switching and terminal facility in Madison, Illinois with 80 in-bound, out-bound and holding tracks
- Capacity for 2,200 to 2,800 cars at a time with approximately 30,000 cars passing through the yard each month to destinations across the nation
- 18 locomotives that switch cars efficiently throughout the yard, deliver them to local industries, and get trains ready for departure
- Over 200 miles of track
with the most major rail interlockers throughout the St. Louis metropolitan
area
Our Value Proposition
TRRA’s unique capabilities and strategic location offer our customers shipping solutions that are unmatched by other modes of transportation.
- On average, railroads move one ton of freight nearly 500 miles per gallon of fuel, which is four times more fuel efficient than transport by truck.
- TRRA’s strategic location with switching services at a major hub in the center of the country allows our customers to bring us trains that are efficiently separated and re-blocked for departure east, west, north or south. Our central location also benefits industrial customers, giving them access to every part of America’s national freight rail network and global markets beyond.
- In addition to switching services, TRRA shipping by rail is one of the most efficient and environmentally responsible transportation modes. Customers use space in our yard to store their cars – a “warehouse on wheels,” allowing them to quickly move products to market at any time.
- TRRA has established partnerships with transload companies that provide custom supply chain options. Transloading on TRRA provides shippers with flexibility to reach markets they otherwise couldn’t.
- Our speed of response is unique among short-line railroads:
- TRRA’s 24-hour operation allows our customers flexibility and opportunity to ship anytime on their schedule and timeline.
- TRRA interchanges directly with our Class I partners daily, eliminating delays and increasing speed to market.
- We turn over cars quickly, on average within 24 hours from arrival to departure.
Items of Interest
The St. Louis Regional Freightway yesterday announced it added three Illinois locations– Admiral Parkway, Forest Boulevard and Granite City Buildings and Land– to its pipeline of rail-accessible industrial real-estate sites. The additions bring the number of St. Louis Regional Freightway rail access sites to 20, spread across 16 locations, according to a press release. The new site locations are more than 1,150 acres combined. Admiral Parkway in Dupo, Illinois, is the largest and encompasses 1,000 of those acres, with rail service potential through Union Pacific Railroad. The property is located within an enterprise zone and a tax incremental financing district, and it is adjacent to Interstate 255.
TRRA replaces 130-year-old Merchants Bridge with new construction.
TRRA Wins ASLRRA Jake Safety Award
“The rail industry operates on a safety-first rule, and the Jake Awards are one measurement of the constant, daily focus the short-line industry applies to operations in order to bring everyone home safely, every night,” said ALSRRA President Chuck Baker.
To receive a Jake Award, an ASLRRA member must perform better than the industry average reportable injury frequency rate for railroads other than Class Is.
Central Region Jake Award winners are: Watco Switching Services; Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis; Red River Falley & Western Railroad; Kyle Railroad Co.; and Rail Logix Ameriport. Read more…