Smart Sand Inc. announced that it has completed construction of its unit-train-capable rail facility served by the Union Pacific Railroad in Byron Township, Wis. The company moved its first unit train from the expanded site via the Union Pacific Railroad on Dec. 26, 2017.
“With construction completed, we now have the capacity for several hundred railcars and the option to ship unit trains on both the Union Pacific and Canadian Pacific railroads from our flagship Oakdale, Wis., mining operation,” stated Charles Young, chief executive officer. “As one of the first sand providers to recognize and respond to customer demands to move higher volumes in shorter timeframes, Smart Sand has been a pioneer in building unit train capability.
“Our investment in the Byron location is another example of Smart Sand’s commitment to superior logistics service for our customers,” Young continued. “Combined with the expected completion of our previously announced drying capacity expansion by the end of March 2018, we believe that our Oakdale, Wis., operations are well positioned to take advantage of the improved flexibility, service reliability and freight pricing that rail competition will provide. We are confident that having these choices in rail carriers will allow us to remain competitive, while driving down costs and improving efficiency.”