Company Overview

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RDC is a Pittsburgh based railway investment and management company, unique in its focus on the developing world. Its focus has expanded from railways to transportation corridors, extending the reach and value of its franchises through the incorporation of port facilities, transload facilities, fiber optics development and other related businesses.

RDC's competitive advantage stems from its ability to structure joint ventures on a case-by-case basis in complex and volatile markets, while minimizing transaction costs and the time necessary for implementation.

RDC's affiliates include:

the Iowa Interstate Railroad ("IAIS"), a 592-mile (954 km) (standard gauge) regional carrier consisting of former Rock Island routes between Chicago, Illinois, and Omaha, Nebraska, in the United States.

in conjunction with América Latina Logística, ALL Central (formerly “BAP”), which is a 3,535-mile (5,690 km) (broad gauge) railroad operating on the San Martín line in six provinces of Argentina along an east-west route between Buenos Aires and Mendoza.

in conjunction with América Latina Logística, ALL Mesopotámica (formerly “FMGU”), a 1,680-mile (2,704 km) (standard gauge) railroad operating on the Urquiza line in four provinces of Argentina on a route network linking Buenos Aires to interchanges with railroads in Uruguay, Brazil, and Paraguay.

in conjunction with Guatemalan investors, Ferrovías Guatemala ("FVG"), a 200-mile (322 km) (narrow gauge) railroad connecting Guatemala City with the Atlantic Ocean. Additional closed corridors to Mexico and El Salvador, as well as ports on both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, are included in the concession.

in conjunction with Peruvian investors, Ferrocarril Central Andino ("FCCA"), a 332-mile (535 km) (standard gauge) railroad connecting Huancayo and Cerro de Pasco with Lima and the Pacific port of Callao.

RDC's former affiliations were:

in conjunction with Estonian and international investors, the Estonian freight railway -- Eesti Raudtee ("EVR") from August 2001 to January 2007.  This 431-mile route (693 km) (five-foot gauge) links Russia's railway system with the ice-free ports of Estonia.

in conjunction with Mozambican and international investors, the Nacala Corridor, which integrates the Corredor de Desenvolvimento do Norte ("CDN") (the North Development Corridor) in Mozambique and Central East African Railways ("CEAR") in Malawi.
CDN represents the Port of Nacala and the Northern Railway in Mozambique and consists of 542 miles (873 km) of trackage between the Indian Ocean at Nacala and the border with Malawi, and serves as Malawi’s exclusive rail access. CEAR represents the railway system of Malawi and consists of 495 miles (797 km) connecting the major cities of Blantyre and Lilongwe with Mozambique’s Northern railway.


Investment Overview

The following table presents a summary of the scope of RDC's investments:

Investment Overview @ December 31, 2008


Investment
Length
in
Km.
Length in
Miles

Locos.

Wagons
Tons
(in
millions)
IAIS 954 592 44 1,066 9.6
ALL Central 5,690 3,535 110 5,256 3.5
ALL Meso 2,704 1,680 49 2,223 1.0
FVG 322 200 6 130 N/A*
FCCA 535 332 28 732 1.8

Investments sold Sep. 2008:

CEAR 797 495 19 403 0.2
CDN 873 542 6 166 0.2 Rail
0.9 Port

Re-nationalized Jan. 2007:

EVR 693 431 98 3,405 26.1

*Service suspended Sep. 2007

 

Investment Philosophy

  • RDC acts as an investor, with management and institutional investors as partners. 

  • Partners must be willing to co-invest in initial capitalization, and at a level which represents a significant commitment.
      

  • Prefers negotiated transactions, as opposed to auctions.
     

  • Prefers properties with annual revenue in excess of US$10 million.

  • Emphasis on financial discipline, quality of management, integrity, speed.  

  • Willingness to take on time-sensitive, complex transactions.

 



(click on photo to enlarge)

IAIS train entering Blue Island, Illinois, via trackage rights over METRA.


(click on photo to enlarge)

ALL Central truck/rail transloading operation at Palmira.





 


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