A local short line railway operator plans to invest nearly $5 million on a new supply chain hub alongside its tracks in Gastonia. Progressive Rail, which runs the 12-mile Piedmont and Northern Railroad between Mount Holly and Gastonia, is calling its new venture at 601 N. Modena St. a “Carload Connection Campus.” The company will combine $4 million of its own money with a $920,000 grant from the North Carolina Department of Transportation Rail Division to create the new complex. The company said the investment will create an estimated 25-30 new jobs. “This is the perfect supply chain solution for many of our friends and customers,” said Bill Bartosh, Progressive Rail director of operations in Gastonia.