Brookhaven Rail Terminal (BRT) officially opened for freight rail service celebrating a milestone in Long Island's transportation future. In 2010, U.S. Rail of NY, LLC (USRNY) was authorized by the Surface Transportation Board (STB) to construct and operate the BRT. The facility will serve as a multi-modal freight rail center, with the capacity to handle bulk materials, rail to truck freight and intermodal transfers, including container on flat cars and truck on flat cars shipments. The facility broke ground in October 2010. Michael Murphy, executive vice president of Prudential Douglas Elliman Commercial Services Represented BRT and USRNY, in the recent acquisition of an additional 66 acres adjacent to the already acquired 28 acre facility, which includes approximately 13,000 linear feet of new rail, adjacent to the Long Island Expressway, with access to the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) via a mainline switch. An interchange agreement with the New York and Atlantic (NYA) railroad is in place, and discussions are ongoing with a number of customers regarding potential movement of variety of commodities, including aggregates, lumber, paper and food products, biodiesel and ethanol, among others. Currently, less than one percent of freight arrives on Long Island by rail, compared with 15% nationally. According to the New York Metropolitan Transportation Council, there is a projected increase of 47% in the freight transportation for the region over the next 25 years. Construction of this project represents the first significant step toward reducing truck traffic, improving air quality and building the region's future freight transportation network. BRT and USRNY have invested over $40 million in private capital to develop Long Island's first multi-modal freight rail facility, changing the way Long Island's freight moves and creating an unprecedented opportunity for future economic development. Until now, freight movement on Long Island has been handled almost exclusively by truck. Reductions in vehicle weights over New York bridges effectively have doubled the number of trucks required to haul the same amount of freight. BRT represents a significant step in reducing long haul truck traffic, creating an enhanced short run trucking industry with smaller more efficient trucks, increased local jobs and reducing air emissions. BRT integrates train movements, local trucking services, freight handling equipment, open and enclosed freight storage, light assembly or other light industrial uses, vehicle weigh scale and maintenance operations, all within a single location, to serve a shipper's total rail freight requirements. BRT will create 25 permanent jobs contributing to the local economy. "When we began this project we knew it held out the opportunity to change the way Long Island receives its commodities. The interest and enthusiasm from the business community has been more than positive and it is our goal to work with Long Island industries to offer them world class rail freight service so they can reduce their shipping costs and we can take trucks off the road," said Jim Pratt, partner in BRT. BRT handles construction aggregates, building materials and intermodal containers and will offer a variety of value-added rail terminal operations. Using BRT to ship goods on and off Long Island by rail translates into lower costs, more reliable deliveries coupled with flexible local service and a greatly expanded market reach. The cost of rail freight shipment, on a ton per mile basis, is approximately half the cost of truck shipment. Long Island businesses will have increased access to world markets through BRT's connection to the national rail network. In addition to lower transportation costs and better service, rail freight transportation offers significant environmental benefits for Long Island's air quality: * One rail freight car can carry the equivalent of four truckloads * One rail car can carry a ton a cargo 480 miles on one gallon of fuel. Jim Newell, chief operating officer of USRNY, expressed his optimism regarding the benefits of this facility to Long Island communities, "We are extremely excited that this long-awaited rail project will soon be a reality and that the businesses and citizens of Long Island will finally have a much-needed reliable, efficient and cost-effective transportation alternative that will not only deliver essential products at significantly reduced rates, but also help to lessen wear and congestion on the area's roadways with considerably reduced impacts on the environment."