Frequently Asked Questions

General Questions·      

‍Why is the Hanson Spur project necessary?
‍The Hanson Spur is a critical infrastructure project that will open new channels of trade for local businesses, reduce truck traffic and serve the public with minimal impacts on our neighbors. The Hanson Spur will connect local businesses, farmers, loggers and timberland owners in MiddleGeorgia to markets that are exclusively or best served by the CSXT. The Spur will have a minimal impact on local residents and will reduce truck traffic inHancock County.

Once operational, the Spur will be served by approximately one train per day, which will reduce the need for up to 150 additional trucks per day on local roads. The project is expected to generate at least 12 new permanent jobs averaging $90,000 in salary and benefits and more than $1.5 million in annual economic benefit for Hancock County.       

‍What is the construction timeline for the Hanson Spur?
Construction for the HansonSpur will take approximately 18 months.       

‍Will the Hanson Spur increase truck traffic in HancockCounty?
No. The Spur is expected to significantly reduce truck traffic by replacing up to 150 additional truck trips per day with approximately one train per day operating at less than20 miles per hour. Freight railroads are, on average, 3-4 times more fuel efficient than trucks, and even more efficient in terms of volume carried.      

‍How has Sandersville Railroad engaged with the community thus far?
Members of the Hancock County community were invited to an informational meeting on August 11, 2022, at the Hancock County Youth Center in Sparta, GA.  

‍How is Sandersville Railroad investing in Hancock County beyond the Spur project?
Sandersville Railroad’s commitment to Hancock County extends beyond the Hanson Spur. The company, alongside Heidelberg Materials, is a founding supporter of the Hancock County Great Futures Academy at HancockCentral High School. The program provides career exploration, enrichment activities, mentorship, academic support and after-school meals for local students.

Sandersville Railroad anticipates supporting local schools, civic organizations and community initiatives as it begins operations in Hancock County. 

‍Rail Operations

Who will utilize the spur? Is this a single-customer project?
No. The Spur will serve several existing customers, including Heidelberg Materials, Pittman Construction, Veal Farms Transload, Revive Millings and Southern Chips. It is the hope of Sandersville Railroad that additional users in the future may utilize the channels of trade opened by the spur.    

‍Who is Pittman Construction and how will it use the spur?
Pittman Construction is Georgia’s trusted name for heavy highway construction. Since 1884, Pittman has served the state ofGeorgia as an award-winning prime contractor specializing in concrete construction, asphalt paving, erosion and traffic control services and more. Based in Conyers, GA., Pittman is led by Arnie Pittman, the fourth generation of his family to run the company. Pittman Construction will use the spur to transport liquid asphalt, a non-hazardous, low-temperature, highly viscous to semi-solid ingredient in asphalt used to pave highways. 

‍Who is Veal Farms Transload LLC and how will it use the spur?
Veal Farms Transload is the parent company for Veal Farms, LLC, a leading producer of grain for major poultry and agricultural processing companies, and Veal Farms Trucking, LLC., which delivers agricultural products from rail to end users and from producers to rail. Veal Farms Transload is the only certified organic transload facility registered with the Food and Drug Administration. Veal Farms will use the spur to move grain topoultry companies and raw agricultural products like wheat, corn and soybeans to food processors across the country.      

‍Who is Revive Milling LLC and how will it use the spur?  
Revive Milling purchases and processes grain from its raw state to food ingredients, and then sells and transports those refined ingredients to food producers. Revive Milling is the only facility in the State of Georgia certified by the Federal Drug Administration as a non-GMO and organic milling facility. Revive Milling will use the spur to transportrefined grain products like starches to food producers across the country.      

‍Who is Southern Chips and how will it use the spur?  
Southern Chips, LLC has been in operation since 2018 and provides quality hardwood and pine wood chips to pulp and paper mills. The chip mill specializes in rail-delivered chips to any location with rail service in the continental United States. Since the company's founding, the chip mill has been aggressively upgraded through capital expenditures to increase rail payloads, overall mill dependability, pulpwood storage capacity and chip quality. Southern Chips will use the spur to transport paper-quality wood chips to mills throughout the southeastern United States and beyond for the manufacturing of paper and packaging materials.      

‍Who is Heidelberg Aggregates and how will they use the spur?  
In North America, Heidelberg Materials is a leading supplier of cement, aggregates, ready mixed concrete and asphalt with more than 450 locations and approximately 9,000 employees. Heidelberg’s Sparta Quarry, also known as the Hanson Quarry, produces aggregate – crushed rocks and minerals used in a variety of industries for a range of purposes including concrete, asphalt and other roadway materials. The Heidelberg Materials Quarry on Shoals Road will use the spur to deliver its aggregate product more efficiently to customers outside the region in Georgia and along the eastern U.S. Heidelberg is also considering a multi-million-dollar expansion once the rail spur is complete that will create additional jobs and significant property tax revenue for Hancock County.       

‍How many trips a day will the train take on this spur?  
The train will operate one round trip daily between the CSXT Line and the Hanson Aggregates Quarry during normal business hours. The train will travel at a maximum of 20 miles per hour.      

‍What hours will the train operate?  
In order to maintain thehighest standard of safety, the train will primarily operate within daylighthours.      

‍What is the train speed and how long will it take to make the 4.5-mile trip?
It will take approximately20 minutes to make the trip. The train will not exceed 20 miles per hour.       

‍What will happen if there is an emergency vehicle that needs to cross Shoals Road while the train is across the road?  
Any time the train is crossing Shoals Road, Sandersville Railroad will have an employee present who can disconnect the train cars and allow an emergency vehicle to pass. This process takes 45-90 seconds. Also, on every Crossbuck at a railroad crossing there will be a posted emergency contact phone number.
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‍Where can I find out more about contracting opportunities on the Hanson Spur construction?
Please fill out the form below to stay up to date on contracting opportunities.

Route Questions      

‍Why was the route chosen?  
The route was selected to conform with railroad design standards, minimize impacts to wetlands and streams, avoid sensitive environmental areas near the upper Little Ogeechee River northeast of the planned route, and stay away from occupied residences. The Spur will cut through no one’s backyard; most of the route crosses forest or pastureland. No homes are being condemned. After surveying the land, the route is clearly the most efficient and least impactful route from the CSX rail line to Hanson Quarry.       

‍Is the route finalized?  
Yes, after making final adjustments based on community input and final surveys, the general route has been finalized.       

‍How will you minimize noise on the route?  
The train will only travel the spur one round trip per day. It will travel at less than 20 miles per hour, which will further reduce noise. In addition, the line is more than 1,000 feet away from the majority of homes on Shoals Road. Heidelberg has agreed to install 130-foot-wide,20-foot-tall berms that will further minimize noise. The berms will be part of its EPD Mining Permit and will be built in conjunction with building a new plant. Given the wooded nature of the area, no visual impact is expected to residents along the spur aside from those closest to the new railroad grade crossing onShoals Road, which will be in the vicinity of the current Hanson Quarry entrance.  

The closest home off Maggie Reynolds Road will be more than 200 feet from the line. Even without planned sound mitigation, the sound of the train at 20 mph will only be that of a normal conversation, or approximately 70 decibels. The noise of the train whistle is vital to protect the public at road crossings and the locomotives are subject to federal regulations governing the noise level they may emit. Noise monitoring tests are conducted on all SRR locomotives to ensure compliance with those regulations. The train whistle when measured at 25 feet from the tracks, was roughly 100 decibels, or roughly the same noise level as a hand drill. Ear pain caused by noise is felt at 125 dBA or higher. Brief exposure to the train whistle does not represent any risk to noise induced hearing loss to the public. In addition, once the Spur is operational, Heidelberg is considering a multi-million-dollar expansion that would move the current processing plant—the loudest part of its operation—further away from nearby residences. This relocation has the potential to reduce existing noise and dust impacts over the long term.       

‍How will you minimize impacts on Maggie Reynolds Road?  
First, Sandersville Railroad does not anticipate normal train traffic on this section of the spur; it will be used only for train car storage. When this section of track is used, noise levels at the closest home –approximately 200 feet from the tracks – will only be that of a normal conversation or approximately 70 decibels.       

‍Can property owners whose land is split by rail reach the other part of their property?  
Sandersville Railroad will install a crossing on each parcel to allow property owners to access all of their property.      

‍Why can’t you move the route further north or northeast?
‍Building a railroad isn’t like building a road.Railroads have to be designed to include relatively flat grades and large curves to allow locomotives to operate. The route selected avoids the headwaters of the Little Ogeechee River, is more than 1,000 feet from almost every home and travels primarily through pasture and timberland. Topographical changes, Georgia Power’s transmission lines and the Little Ogeechee prevent us from pushing further north or east; this includes a significant elevation drop near Two Mile Creek. In addition, moving the route farther north or east would increase the construction footprint and have a greater environmental impact.
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Property Acquisition      

‍Will my property be taken through eminent domain?  
Sandersville Railroad hasactively engaged the landowners along the proposed spur route to discussproperty purchases. The spur will not require the taking of anyone’s home norwill it prevent anyone from using their pastures, hunting areas or timbering theirproperty. While railroads qualify for eminent domain, Sandersville Railroadprefers to make every effort to directly negotiate property deals withlandowners. Due to a lack of willingness to engage in negotiations from a fewlandowners, Sandersville Railroad is working through legal channels to utilizeeminent domain. The Georgia Public Service Commission and Georgia courts have evaluated this project under long-established Georgia law and affirmed that it serves a public use. Landowners will be compensated at values determined by an independent, third-party appraiser. For the Hanson Spur, the land required consists primarily of narrow strips through timberland and pasture, and each affected property owner will retain access across the right of way through crossings installed and maintained by Sandersville Railroad. No homes are being condemned.

Are you planning to buy the property or use easements?  
Sandersville Railroad plans to purchase the property outright.

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Environmental Questions
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How do you plan to protect the environment during this project?
Sandersville Railroad is required to meet Georgia EPD guidelines for land disturbing activities and waterways and flood plain crossings prior to commencing construction. The railroad does not anticipate any environmental issues or contamination. The route was selected to avoid sensitive environmental areas near the upper Ogeechee River northeast of the planned route, as well as minimizing grade changes. Sandersville Railroad’s engineering firm has engaged Corblu Ecology Group as a partner in the environmental considerations of this project.  

Are there wetlands along the route?
There are some wetlands along the northern end of the route. Sandersville Railroad will follow local, state and federal laws to ensure that water quality and the environment are not harmed during construction or during operations of the HansonSpur. There are strict standards for construction in wetland areas that Sandersville Railroad is required to follow.

Will this affect the groundwater near my home?
‍Given the nature of theGeorgia Piedmont and the granite in the soil, Sandersville Railroad does not expect the rail expansion or quarry expansion to impact groundwater. Heidelberg is considering installation of monitoring wells between the quarry and homes along the border of the quarry as it expands to ensure there are no impacts.

Do trains cause pollution or are they harmful to your health?
‍Just like cars and trucks on the road, the Sandersville Railroad is subject to and compliant with EPA exhaust standards that govern locomotive emissions. These EPA regulations have specific limits for oxides of nitrogen, hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, particulate matter and smoke. Additionally, the spur will reduce the number of trucks on local roads which will reduce emissions. Trains are much more efficient, in terms of emissions, than trucks. If anything, the use of the trainwill reduce yearly pollutants in the area from transportation emissions.

I heard there was an endangered type of crayfish along the route.
‍There are no known endangered species on the selected route, including no endangered crayfish identified by either the US Fish and Wildlife Service or the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.
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Future Quarry Plans
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What is this expanded quarry proposal?
‍The Hanson Spur will allow the Heidelberg MaterialsQuarry on Shoals Road to deliver its aggregate (crushed rock) product more efficiently to customers outside the region in Georgia and throughout the Eastern U.S. Heidelberg is considering a multi-million-dollar expansion that will create additional jobs and significant property tax revenue for Hancock County. This expansion would eventually move the processing plant – the loudest part of its operation – away from its current location to a site further away from nearby residences. The potential new plant location will also be protected by several tree berms that will significantly reduce noise and provide a visual buffer.
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Will there be increased blasting?
‍The quarry’s expansion plans have it expanding into areas further from residential areas, minimizing the impact of blasting increases that occur to accommodate sales volumes increase over the next several years. The current pit is being developed to the north and away from most of the homes in the area. Future pit development will happen after the potential new processing plant is constructed, moving operations further away from the majority of homes.