Railroad Development Corporation

The Railroad Development Corporation is an American railroad holding company based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It operates several short line railroads outside the United States and acts as an investor, with management and institutional investors as partners. It was founded in 1987 by former Conrail employee Henry Posner III.

Americas Argentina

RDC participated in the ownership of two rail lines in Argentina:RDC operating entities Railroad Development Corporation ALL Central, a broad gauge line also in partnership with América Latina Logística and the Argentine government. It formerly operated as Buenos Aires al Pacífico - San Martin, Ferrocarril General San Martín, and Buenos Aires and Pacific Railway. ALL Mesopotámica, a standard gauge line in partnership with América Latina Logística and the Argentine government. It formerly operated as Ferrocarril Mesopotámico - General Urquiza and Ferrocarril General Urquiza. In October 2013, both lines were nationalized and were taken over by Trenes Argentinos Cargas y Logistica.

Colombia In August 2012 Ferrocarril del Pacífico that RDC has a shareholding in, resumed operations on the Buenaventura to Yumbo section of the Pacific line.Presidential launch for Pacific revival Railway Gazette International August 6, 2012Ferrocarril del Pacífico Railroad Development Corporation

Guatemala

RDC managed the previously closed gauge Ferrovias Guatemala (FVG) under a 50-year concession from 1997.RDC to revive Guatemala railways Railway Gazette International August 1997 In August 2006, the government of Guatemala invalidated a 2003 contract for the usufruct of rolling stock and other equipment.Guatemala government violates terms of railroad privatization agreement Railroad Development Corporation August 28, 2006 Due to the continuing uncertainty leading to losses, FVG suspended all operations on October 1, 2007, while continuing with legal actions against the Guatemalan government.Ferrovias Guatemala Railroad Development Corporation July 6, 2007Central America going nowhere Railway Gazette International August 2007 The legal action was settled in RDC's favor in December 2013.RDC wins six-year battle for compensation from Guatemala International Railway Journal December 4, 2013Full settlement for Railroad Development Corp in Guatemala dispute Railway Gazette International December 4, 2013

Peru

In July 1999 the Peruvian government awarded a consortium led by RDC a 30-year concession to operate the former Ferrocarril del Centro. Investors in Ferrocarril Central Andino (FCCA) included RDC, Juan Olaechea & Company, Minas Buenaventura, Cementos Andino, Mitsui and the Commonwealth Development Corporation.Peruvian Rail Concession takes RDC to new heights Railroad Development Corporation July 27, 1999 It was agreed in June 2006 by the Peruvian government that FCCA should go ahead with converting the Ferrocarril Huancayo - Huancavelica from to (standard gauge). Estimated to take 16 months, the US$33m project was to be funded jointly by the government and CAF – Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean.Huancavelica upgrade Railway Gazette International June 2006Great South American Rail Adventure Trains & Travel This project was finished by October 2010.Trains March 2009 page 68

United States RDC operates the Iowa Interstate Railroad. RDC first invested in the railroad in 1991, exercising an option to purchase in January 2004.The History of IAIS Iowa Interstate RailroadRDC Purchases Iowa Interstate Railroad Development Corporation January 2, 2004

In November 2008, RDC entered a joint venture with LeGrand America to operate a business class road coach service from Pittsburgh and Harrisburg.Steel City Flyer to Begin Non-Stop Service between Pittsburgh and Harrisburg Railroad Development Corporation November 7, 2008 It ceased in July 2009.Capitol bus service to end next week Pittsburgh Post-Gazette July 10, 2009Steel City Flyer to End Service on July 16, 2009 Railroad Development Corporation July 10, 2009

In December 2022, RDC became part of a $16 million proposal by SEPTA and Chester County in southeastern Pennsylvania to connect the borough of West Chester to Delaware County on a line that hasn't seen service since 1986. The proposal would provide a Metro line using rechargeable, battery-driven light rail service based on Class 230 trains built from recycled London Underground cars with a 60-mile range.

Europe Belgium In January 2015, RDC purchased a 25% shareholding in Eurorail.RDC takes 25% stake in Eurorail Railway Gazette International January 12, 2015RDC acquires 25% stake in Eurorail International Railway Journal February 2015 page 15

Estonia RDC purchased a 5% shareholding in Eesti Raudtee on August 31, 2001, selling it on January 9, 2007.Baltic Rail Services Completes the Purchase of Controlling Interest in Eesti Raudtee, Estonian State Railways Railroad Development Corporation September 4, 2001Estonian privatisation completed Railway Gazette International October 1, 2001EVR's private interlude is over Railway Gazette International February 2007Estonia railway operator has new controller Financial Times January 17, 2007

France In 2009 Réseau Ferré de France, Caisse des dépôts et consignations and RDC formed a joint venture to promote local freight.RDC in French freight venture Railway Gazette International April 2, 2009

Germany

Hamburg-Köln-Express (HKX) was founded as a joint venture in November 2009 between RDC (75%), Locomore (17.5%) and railway investor Michael Schabas (7.5%).Hamburg-Köln-Express to launch Railway Gazette International November 4, 2009 Services were initially planned to start in August 2010 but this was postponed after the paths it had identified for its services were claimed by Keolis for a proposed Mulhouse to Hamburg open-access service. Keolis later abandoned its plans and HKX was able to reapply for the paths.Open-access with the X factor International Railway Journal December 14, 2011 Operations commenced on July 23, 2012.HKX prepares to take on DB Railway Gazette International July 5, 2012Railroad Development Corporation: Americans in Paris…and Koln Today's Railways Europe issue 205 January 2013 pages 20-24

In December 2015, RDC-owned HKX stopped operating the Hamburg-Köln-Express, the operation was then carried out by the independent rail tourism company BahnTouristikExpress (BTE). Following 2016 reports that the German motorail operator DB Fernverkehr was about to terminate all motorail services in Germany by October 2016, RDC purchased a 50% share in BTE as the company had a number of car-carrier wagons in stock.Land Transport Finance - Markets DVB Bank 31 December 2016 Following the purchase, on 18 October 2016, RDC commenced operating RDC Autozug Sylt car shuttle services from Niebüll to Westerland after securing a 10-year access agreement. Services were initially hauled by a Transdev Class 251 while using BTE car-carrier wagons.RDC Deutschland launches Sylt car-carrying trains International Railway Journal October 18, 2016Autozug Sylt car-carrying service launched Railway Gazette International October 18, 2016 BTE in December 2016 started operating the BTE AutoReiseZug motorail service between Hamburg and Lörrach.Private operator to run German motor rail service International Railway Journal April 18, 2016

Beginning in April 2017 Markus Hunkel took over management of Railroad Development Corporation Deutschland (RDCD).

In October 2017, BTE and therefore RDC terminated the Hamburg-Köln-Express service without further notice. The service of the former Hamburg-Köln-Express was then restarted in March 2018 on the same route by the company Flixmobility under the brand name Flixtrain, but again with BTE as the train operator. The brand name HKX was replaced by the green Flixtrain label. In November 2017, RDC bought two Siemens Vectron diesel locomotives for its RDC Autozug Sylt car shuttle operations.

In 2018 and 2019, BTE is also offering the seasonal night train Alpen Express (winter) between the Netherlands and Austria in cooperation with the Dutch agency Treinreiswinkel. In 2020, RDC started operating the seasonal night train Alpen-Sylt Nachtexpress between the island of Sylt and Salzburg, Austria. In 2021, its operation will also include southwestern Germany with Konstanz as destination by dividing southbound trains in Gemünden.

In January 2021, RDC Autozug Sylt was awarded the contract to operate the Akkunetz Nord regional train network in the state of Schleswig-Holstein, beginning in December 2023. The rolling stock, battery-electric Stadler Flirt Akku trains, was to be provided by the tendering authority. The network was to comprise the following train services:

RE72 between Flensburg and Kiel, RB73 between Eckernförde and Kiel, RE74 between Husum and Kiel, RB75 between Rendsburg and Kiel, and RB64 between Husum and Bad St. Peter-Ording.

In January 2022, the contract was terminated after legal action by incumbent DB Regio. Instead of RDC, Nordbahn was awarded the contract.RDC loses German regionla passenger contract International Railway Journal January 4, 2022

United Kingdom RDC was a shareholder in Vivarail, a now-defunct company that converted London Underground D78 Stock electric multiple units into Class 230 diesel multiple units.RDC seeks diverse opportunities in European market International Railway Journal May 18, 2016

International night trains From December 2021, the overnight Amsterdam‒Zürich Nightjet service has connected Zürich via Cologne to Amsterdam. The train is operated jointly by Austrian Federal Railways (), Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) and Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS), using sleeper and couchette coaches leased from RDC Asset GmbH. The leased arrangement was planned to last until the construction and delivery of new fixed-formation ÖBB Nightjet carriages.

In August 2021, Swedish rail company SJ AB announced it had been selected by the Swedish Transport Administration to operate a new EuroNight service from Stockholm via Copenhagen to Hamburg from mid-2022. The train is operated jointly with RDC and its subsidiary BahnTouristikExpress (RDC), with RDC providing the rolling stock, and RDC/BTE providing crew within Germany.

At their annual press conference in March 2025, Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) announced plans to re-introduce overnight train service on the Basel to Copenhagen/Malmö route. The night train would be operated in partnership with Railroad Development Corporation starting from 2026, following the route of the previous CityNightLine Aurora service that had not operated since 2014. Rolling stock would be cascaded from the Amsterdam‒Zürich service.

Africa Malawi

Through the Central East African Railways consortium, RDC operated the Malawi Railways network which connects with the Caminhos de Ferro de Moçambique line in Mozambique from December 1999.RDC Led Consortium Reaches Agreement on Concession in Mozambique Railroad Development Corporation February 10, 2000A luta continua!, Bradley J Knapp and Henry Posner III Railway Gazette International June 2004 The operation was sold in 2008.RDC sells Central East African Railway stake Railway Gazette International September 15, 2008Company profile Central East African Railways

References

Railroad Development Corporation

Bron en licentie