Ray Energy Opens New Rail, Truck Terminal in Hampton, NY

Just in time for the winter heating season, Troy, N.Y.-based Ray Energy has commissioned its new propane rail and truck terminal in Hampton, N.Y. The 21-acre, Washington County facility is located near the New York-Vermont border. It features a 16-spot rail siding with an operational capacity of 28 railcars, and on-demand switch ing provided by the Vermont Railroad. Ray Energy’s railcar mover provides the ability to offload 16 cars a day.

Two dual-sided rail towers with retractable arms can unload two railcars in three hours. Piping that has been installed will allow the company to bring two additional dual-sided rail towers into service with minimal lead time. Four 60,000-gal. bulk tanks provide storage for 240,000 gal. An expansion has been approved to raise stored tank volumes up to 360,000 gal. Added to the 480,000 gal. that can be held in railcars, the terminal will have the ability to house 840,000 gal., ensuring fuel availability to meet demand during peak winter months.

“With the increase in propane demand, the Northeast depends on approximately 75% of its propane supply from rail, an increase of over 50% from a few years ago,” said Ken Ray, president of Ray Energy. “Our location on the border of New York and Vermont was strategically selected to better serve propane marketers in the Northeast. We can now reliably supply our customers the volumes they need—any time of year—with improved safety and service capabilities and better efficiencies.”

The terminal’s truck loading rack currently has two lanes, each with its own dedicated pump and loading station to reduce wait times during the peak winter season. State-of-the-art technology provides electronic data transmission of every load and smart hoses secure product and protect personnel. A third loading stanchion is expected to be in service by the end of this year, with expansion plans calling for a fourth independently operated truck loading bay in 2019. An emergency backup power system is in place to ensure outages on the electrical grid don’t interrupt operations.

The new facility includes an office building with space for propane safety training, video conferencing, and meetings, in addition to a drivers’ area with hot and cold beverages, a restroom, and a safety information area. Noted is that the Ray Energy propane rail and truck terminal will provide safer regional fuel access and easier supply management while helping to reduce truck and rail traffic to and from Albany, N.Y. terminals, greenhouse gas emissions, and infrastructure pressure on New York state highways. Propane marketers interested in learning more about the terminal may contact Stephen Heffron at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 518/527-9194, Glenn Young at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 518/527-8068, or Justin Ray at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 518/874-4510.

(SOURCE: The Weekly Propane Newsletter, September 17, 2018. Click Subscriptions tab above to subscribe.)