Rail-served industrial development starts with the right plan.
From site selection and rail access feasibility to conceptual track planning, partner coordination, and potential infrastructure funding, the LA&L Railroad family helps companies and communities evaluate practical paths for rail-connected growth.
Rail needs to be considered before the site plan is finished.
A parcel may look attractive on a map and still be difficult to serve by rail. Track geometry, grade, switching movements, railcar type, loading methods, utilities, truck circulation, and future expansion all affect whether a site can support an efficient rail operation.
The LA&L business development and operating teams work with manufacturers, developers, site selectors, property owners, municipalities, engineering firms, and economic development organizations to identify those issues early—when there is still time to improve the plan.
Four parts of a stronger rail-served project.
Begin with the site, freight, and operating need. The railroad can help frame the questions, connect the right partners, and determine which next steps deserve further study.
Site selection and location screening
Compare rail-served properties, transload alternatives, highway access, utilities, available land, service territory, and the location factors that affect the freight plan.
Explore Site Selection Support → 02Track feasibility and concept coordination
Review possible connections, track alignment, switching needs, loading areas, clearances, grades, curves, and coordination with qualified engineering and construction partners.
Explore Track Design Support → 03Economic development coordination
Coordinate with local and regional development partners to explore available sites, infrastructure needs, permitting considerations, and potential public or private funding resources.
Explore Incentive Resources → 04Freight and operating evaluation
Define the commodity, origin, destination, annual volume, railcar type, service requirements, and growth expectations that drive the rail and site decision.
Explore Ship by Rail →The right solution may not begin with new track.
Some projects need a greenfield rail-served site. Others can begin at an existing transload facility or adapt an established industrial property with nearby rail access.
Greenfield development
Evaluate available land, proposed facility placement, rail alignment, utilities, highway access, permitting, and future expansion before the layout is fixed.
Existing rail and transload sites
Use established rail infrastructure to begin moving freight, test a lane, support near-term operations, or reduce the amount of new construction required.
Industrial reuse and expansion
Review existing industrial buildings, former sidings, adjacent railroad property, loading areas, and opportunities to restore or expand rail access.
Move from an early idea to an actionable development plan.
The exact process depends on the project, but strong rail-served developments generally answer the same core questions in a logical order.
Start with the freight.
Commodity, origins, destinations, volume, railcar type, handling, timing, and future growth.
Compare locations.
Rail access, land, utilities, highway connections, buildings, service territory, and community fit.
Evaluate feasibility.
Alignment, grade, curves, switching, loading, storage, drainage, access, and preliminary operating needs.
Engage the partners.
Railroad, owner, engineer, contractor, municipality, utility, agency, and economic development organizations.
Build the next phase.
Detailed engineering, approvals, agreements, funding applications, construction planning, and service preparation.
A useful site plan has to work beyond the property line.
Rail access is part of a larger transportation system. The site must support safe switching, loading, unloading, truck circulation, storage, employee access, utilities, maintenance, and the expected flow of materials through the facility.
Four short lines. One coordinated development conversation.
The LA&L Railroad family serves industrial corridors across western and central New York and northwestern Pennsylvania, with connections to the national rail network through Class I partners.
Livonia, Avon & Lakeville Railroad
Rail and industrial development opportunities south of Rochester, with connections to CSX and Norfolk Southern.
Bath & Hammondsport Railroad
Industrial and transload opportunities across the Southern Tier, with Norfolk Southern connectivity at Painted Post.
Western New York & Pennsylvania Railroad
A broad regional corridor serving southwestern New York and northwestern Pennsylvania with Norfolk Southern connections.
Ontario Midland Railroad
Rail-served industrial and transload opportunities east of Rochester, with CSX connectivity at Newark.
Infrastructure, incentives, and approvals require coordination.
The railroad can help connect a project with local industrial development agencies, municipalities, utilities, regional planning organizations, property owners, engineering firms, contractors, and state or federal programs. Eligibility and funding are never guaranteed, but early coordination can make a project more prepared when opportunities become available.
Bring the railroad into the conversation early.
Share the proposed location, commodity, origins and destinations, annual volume, railcar type, facility concept, timing, and any site plans already available. Jeff and David can help identify the first issues and the right next steps.
Have a site, expansion, or rail access concept to review?
Contact the LA&L business development team before the property, building, roadway, utility, and loading plans are finalized. An early conversation can help determine whether direct rail service, an existing rail-served property, or a transload solution is the most practical starting point.