From what I have read, most of the oil rail trains are not going to the Gulf Coast. They make far more money hauling to locations that are not already served by the pipelines and the Gulf Coast is having a hard time handling the increased volumes of light sweet as it is.
Let me know if you see different info. Thanks for your input on the thread.
Yes, east coast refineries are probably getting more than the Gulf Coast now. But it is still moving regularly to the latter. I understand that BNSF was giving Union Pacific two trains per day at E. St. Louis for forwarding to Louisiana while BNSF was hauling another train (not sure of frequency) to the Marquis Energy’s new Hayti, Missouri river terminal (southeast corner of the state). Also, Canadian Pacific has been giving some trains to Kansas City Southern at Kansas City for forwarding to Port Arthur, Texas, IIRC.
One option is moving by rail part of the way and then pipeline the rest, or vice-versa. Union Pacific will serve a proposed unloading facility near Pontiac, Illinois if and when it is built.
Eastbound oil train traffic will increase. There is talk that the Husky refinery in Lima, Ohio may start getting both Alberta and Bakken crude by rail in the near future (and once track and unloading facilities are built).