 | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Rail transport |
| Founded | 1973 |
| Founder | Richard J. Corman |
| Headquarters | Nicholasville, Kentucky, U.S. |
Area served | United States |
Key people | Justin Broyles (President) |
| Services |
|
| Revenue |  US$ 300 million (FY 2011)[1] |
Number of employees | Approx. 1600 |
| Website | www |
R. J. Corman Railroad Group, LLC is a privately ownedrailroad services and short line operatingcompany headquartered inNicholasville, Kentucky, with field locations in 22 states. It was owned byRichard J. Corman, who established the company in 1973, and ran it until his death on August 23, 2013. The company owns nineteenshort-line railroads spanningIndiana,Kentucky,Mississippi,North Carolina,Ohio,Pennsylvania,South Carolina,Tennessee,Texas, andWest Virginia.
The company serves all six Class I railroads, many regional and short line railroads as well as various rail-served industries. These operations encompass an array of services, including: railroad construction, short line railroad operations, industrial switching services, emergency response, track material logistics, distribution centers, signal design and construction, and an excursion dinner train.
 | This sectionneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.(June 2025) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
R. J. Corman Railroad Construction was founded in 1973, byRichard J. Corman. In 1983, R. J. Corman Derailment Services was founded and opened its first division inColumbus, Ohio. From 1997 to 2000, eight more Derailment Services divisions were opened across theNortheast andMidwest U.S.
The company's original headquarters, Jay Station, was completed and opened inNicholasville, Kentucky. The property was dedicated to Rick's father, Jay Corman.
R. J. Corman began operating short line railroads in 1987, with the purchase of the Bardstown Line and the Memphis Line. The company continued to acquire and rehabilitate many lines throughout the 1990s. They've reopened manyrailbanked lines, and, in 2008, began work to reopen a fully-abandoned non-railbanked corridor in Pennsylvania to serve a new industrial park, landfill and quarry.[2][3]
The Bardstown Line became home to My Old Kentucky Dinner Train, which made its inaugural run in 1989.
In 1990, R. J. Corman's first Distribution Center was opened inSouth Union, Kentucky.
R. J. Corman Material Sales began in 1994, after the company agreed to begin serving as Conrail's full-service track and rail material distributor.
In 2001, R. J. Corman launched its Railroad Switching company.
From 2003 to 2004, R. J. Corman's runway, Lucas Field, was constructed inNicholasville, Kentucky. With that project's completion, R. J. Corman Aircraft Maintenance was launched.
R. J. Corman Railroad Group announced on June 18, 2009, that it had acquired the assets ofRailpower Technologies Corp and its U.S. subsidiary, Railpower Hybrid Technologies.[4]
Fortune Magazine released a feature story on Rick Corman, an American classic self-made success.
On April 1, 2013, R. J. Corman Signaling was formed and began operations.
Rick Corman died on August 23, 2013, after an 11-year battle withmultiple myeloma.
R. J. Corman operates the following subsidiaries:[5]
R. J. Corman offers services such as: railroad construction, short line railroad operations, industrial switching services, emergency response, track material logistics, distribution centers, signal design and construction, and an excursion dinner train,My Old Kentucky Dinner Train.
