In economic development, some of a community’s most important assets are the ones that quietly keep businesses moving every day.

In Wayne County, rail infrastructure is one of those assets.

A recent Inside INdiana Business perspective from Richmond Mayor Ron Oler and Valerie Shaffer, president of the Economic Development Corporation of Wayne County, highlights the role rail infrastructure continues to play in Wayne County’s economy—and why investing in transportation connectivity is important to the community’s next chapter.

For Wayne County and the broader East Central Indiana region, the story is about more than trains and tracks. It is about ensuring businesses have the infrastructure they need to compete, grow, invest, and connect to markets well beyond the region.

A Strategic Location for Business

Wayne County has long benefited from its location along major transportation corridors.

Richmond sits along Interstate 70 near the Indiana-Ohio state line, giving companies access to major metropolitan markets in both states and beyond. Rail adds another important layer to that transportation network.

Norfolk Southern operates a major Class I rail line through Wayne County, while Indiana Eastern Railroad provides short-line service connecting businesses to the larger CSX system. Together with interstate access, highways, nearby airports, and connections to intermodal facilities, those assets provide manufacturers and distributors with multiple ways to move raw materials and finished products.

That connectivity matters when companies are deciding where to locate or expand. Transportation costs, reliability, access to suppliers, and the ability to efficiently reach customers can all influence an investment decision.

Investing in a Critical Freight Corridor

The importance of that infrastructure was demonstrated this summer when Norfolk Southern completed a significant bridge replacement in Richmond.

Over the Fourth of July weekend, Norfolk Southern engineering teams replaced a 308-foot, double-track bridge carrying the railroad’s CF Line over the East Fork Whitewater River.

The project was completed during a carefully coordinated 33-hour outage. Crews removed the existing structure and installed a modern ballast-deck bridge designed to provide greater stability, consistent track performance, and long-term reliability.

The scale of the project was significant. Major bridge sections were lifted into place using a 1,768-ton crane, with months of planning leading up to the installation.

The CF Line is an important part of Norfolk Southern’s Midwest freight network, carrying commodities that include agricultural products, metals, containers, and intermodal freight.

For Wayne County, investments like this help maintain the infrastructure connecting local employers to the larger national economy.

Infrastructure That Supports Business Investment

Rail access also strengthens Wayne County’s ability to market industrial sites to companies considering East Central Indiana.

The Midwest Industrial Park in Richmond, for example, offers direct access to Interstate 70 and an on-site Norfolk Southern rail line, along with utilities and shovel-eady development sites.

Those features can make a significant difference for manufacturers and other businesses that depend on reliable freight transportation.

Rail is particularly valuable for industries moving large quantities of raw materials or finished products. When companies can combine rail access with interstate proximity, available industrial property, utilities, and a skilled workforce, communities gain another competitive advantage in business attraction and expansion.

More Than Transportation

The recent Inside INdiana Business article also points to a larger economic development lesson: infrastructure investment is ultimately about creating opportunities.

Roads, railways, utilities, broadband, industrial sites, housing, and other foundational assets may not always generate the same attention as a major business announcement, but they help make those announcements possible.

Strong infrastructure allows existing employers to operate more efficiently while positioning communities to compete for future projects.

Indiana itself benefits from one of the most extensive freight rail networks in the country, with approximately 3,650 miles of track connecting industries to markets throughout North America. Short-line railroads further extend that reach, providing critical first- and last-mile connections to manufacturers, grain elevators, industrial parks, and other employers.

Wayne County’s location within that network is an important part of its economic development story.

Building Wayne County’s Next Chapter

Economic development is rarely the result of one project or one investment. It happens when communities continually strengthen the assets businesses and residents need to succeed.

Wayne County’s rail network is one piece of that larger picture.

Continued investment in transportation infrastructure—combined with available industrial sites, workforce development, quality-of-place initiatives, and collaboration among local and regional partners—helps create an environment where existing businesses can grow and new companies can see a future.

For East Central Indiana, that is the bigger story.

Infrastructure connects communities. It connects businesses to customers and suppliers. And, increasingly, it connects our region to new opportunities for investment and growth.

Wayne County is making sure those connections remain strong for the journey ahead.