By Railfan & Railroad Staff

JOPLIN, Mo. —  Jaguar Transport Holdings took control of five short line railroads scattered across the western United States earlier this week. The short lines were owned by The Western Group, a rail transportation services company founded in 1972 by Dave Durbano is headquartered in Ogden, Utah. 

Included in the sale were: the Cimarron Valley, which serves southwest Kansas, northern Oklahoma, and eastern Colorado; the Washington Eastern; the Texas & Eastern; the Southwestern in New Mexico; and the Oregon Eastern. Jaguar Transport Holdings took over operations of the five railroads on Nov. 1. Also included in the sale was Western Railroad Builders, a railroad engineering, design, construction, and maintenance firm with industrial and railroad clients.

Jaguar is partnered with OPSEU Pension Plan Trust Fund (“OPTrust”), which invests and manages one of Canada’s largest pension funds and has significant experience investing in the surface transportation and logistics space. Jaguar is being led by two former Watco Companies employees. 

“We are proud and excited to have the opportunity to serve the customers, communities, and partners involved with these properties.  With our focus on ‘earning the right to grow’ Jaguar will create long term value for all stakeholders,” said Jaguar’s CEO Stu Towner.  “It has been a great experience working with Dave and Linda Durbano.  We appreciate all that they have done and look forward to working with their team members to continuously improve upon the legacy of safe and efficient operations that they have created.”