ROCHELLE, Ill. — The City of Rochelle will look at the possibility of developing its own intermodal container facility to offset the loss of Union Pacific’s facility in the city, city officials tell the Rochelle News-Leader.

UP announced last week it would close its Global 3 intermodal terminal in Rochelle, as well as its Canal Street Container Depot in Chicago, to simplify intermodal operations in the region. [See “Union Pacific to streamline Chicago-area intermodal terminals, close Global 3,” Trains News Wire, May 2, 2019.]

Rochelle already owns the 15-mile City of Rochelle Railroad, operated by the Burlington Junction Railway, and broke ground last fall on a transloading facility, the first phase of which is expected to open soon.

Incoming mayor John Bearrows said the city is “exploring the possibility of the City of Rochelle Railroad providing intermodal service,” while Jason Anderson, director of the Greater Rochelle Economic Development Coroporation said the city would look into the “feasibility of incorporating intermodal transloading to fill the vacuum left behind by the closing of Global 3.”