River Operations
In 2001, AEP acquired MEMCO Barge Line, Inc., thereby greatly enhancing AEP’s coal transportation resources. AEP's transportation infrastructure now includes approximately 7,500 rail cars, 2,850 barges and 75 towboats.
Learn more about AEP River Operations.
AEP-owned barges carry coal up and down the Ohio and Mississippi rivers and along the Gulf Coast. However, these barges are not only moving coal for AEP; they're also transporting coal and other commodities for outside customers along the way. In fact, AEP is now the second-largest inland barge company in the U.S., transporting more than 64 million tons of freight on the inland waterways system in 2007.
AEP has interests in two terminal facilities. The Cook Coal Terminal, located on the Ohio River, has a 20 million tons per year (tpy) transfer capability, including rail-to-barge transfer. The International Marine Terminal, located in New Orleans, has a 12 million tpy transfer capability, and an 8 million tpy mid-stream capability. (AEP has a 33 percent ownership stake in the International Marine Terminal.)
AEP's maintenance/fleeting operations include a railcar maintenance facility in Metropolis, Ill., a full-service shipyard in Harvey, La., and five barge repair and cleaning facilities in the lower Mississippi River.
