New rail yard increases intermodal service

At NC Ports, FY24 cargo stats show a record 17,000 containers were moved by rail, which was noted as 13% above budget. Looking ahead, NC Ports is planning to more than triple that number of rail-transported containers, thanks in part to a new rail yard that will expand capacity. As one of the priority projects at NC Ports, the new intermodal rail yard is expected to increase capacity to more than 50,000 container moves annually.

Clark elaborated, “NC Ports is building a new intermodal rail yard that will provide four new working tracks totaling an additional 5,000 linear feet. This facility will help divert more than 250,000 containers from truck to rail over the next decade and will expand our intermodal rail capacity to more than 50,000 container moves by rail annually. A separate rail storage project will also add 6,000 feet near the new North Gate entrance for increased storage capacity and improved switching capacity. This $24 million project was awarded a Federal RAISE grant totaling $18 million and will be breaking ground later this month.”

He summed up, “Our strategic decision to remain diversified between containers and general cargo will remain the focus over the long term. The NC Ports team is focused on strengthening our position to serve North Carolina’s key legacy and growth industries like agriculture, textiles, and furniture. Given our customer-centric and tailored approach, we anticipate expanding our integrated solutions and collaboration with industry partners and cargo interests. We expect to build upon our investments over the last 10 years by continuing to expand our cold chain capacity and capabilities, as well as grow our intermodal rail connectivity and inland reach.”