Long Beach receives railway infrastructure investment

The Port of Long Beach has been awarded a $14.5 million grant from the US Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration to help fund the ‘Terminal Island Wye Track Realignment’ railroad project.

In a statement, the port said “dramatically improve rail efficiency throughout the port complex”. It will particularly benefit Terminal Island, which is home to the Port’s largest container terminal, Pier T.

The project will construct new tracks and enhance a triangular rail junction where long trains can be turned and staged.

Mario Cordero, Executive Director of the Port of Long Beach said the investment will “help to move cargo more efficiently through the Port, which in turn supports jobs across the United States”.

This grant is one of the first from MARAD’s new Port Infrastructure Development Program. The funding from this program is specifically designed for capital improvement projects at U.S. seaports.

The total project cost is $40 million, and the Port will fund the remaining $25.5 million. The TI Wye project will support the Port’s plan to increase on-dock rail, and will also improve rail access to two Long Beach bulk terminals on the eastern end of Pier T.

“This grant will help the Port continue to modernize infrastructure to deliver goods faster and bolster our local and state economies,” said Bonnie Lowenthal, President of the Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners.

The project is scheduled to start construction in mid 2021 and be completed by early 2023.

https://www.porttechnology.org/news/long-beach-receives-railway-infrastructure-investment/