October 13, 2025 - TRA Newswire -

The Henderson Overton Branch rail line, part of Blacklands Railroad, will celebrate $15 million worth of upgrades to the line during a celebration Wednesday at the Henderson Civic Center in East Texas.

Rusk County officials, community partners, economic development leaders and local elected officials will join together to celebrate the improvements this Wednesday at 10:30 a.m in Henderson.

Hundreds of jobs are expected to be created as a result of the infrastructure upgrades to the 14 mile long freight rail line that runs between Henderson and Overton, where the railroad interchanges with Union Pacific.

Equidistant from both Longview and Tyler, the Henderson Overton Branch (HOB) railroad moves many products including liquid asphalt, scrap, lumber, sand, aggregate, and chemicals, according to its website.

The project is funded through an $8.48 million grant from the FRA Consolidated Rail Infrastructure & Safety Improvements (CRISI) and from other investments.

The HOB has approximately 150 car spaces of storage available. The short line offers a transload yard located just west of Henderson, TX. The yard is fenced and has 30 car spots. Lumber, steel, chemicals, sand, and cement are just a few examples of transloaded products that are handled.

Industrial properties are available next to the rail line and interested parties can contact the Henderson Economic Development website for further information.

https://www.blacklandsrailroad.com/henderson-overton-branch

Photo credit: Blacklands Railroad