Public-Private Projects Advance in Georgia, Ohio

This story appears in the July 5 print edition of Transport Topics. Click here to subscribe today.

Public-private intermodal projects in Ohio and Georgia that involve CSX Transportation moved a step closer to completion this month.

In Georgia, the Cordele-Crisp County Industrial Development Authority and Cordele Intermodal Services Inc. said agreements were reached to build an $8.6 million inland port in Cordele, which is located about 125 miles south of Atlanta.

CIS will operate the facility and plans to have the first phase operational this fall, with the ability to handle 20,000 shipments a year,  President Jonathan Lafevers said in a statement. Groundbreaking has been slated for July 14.

“By improving rail connectivity between the ports and southwest Georgia, Cordele, Crisp County and their partners are further opening the region to trade with international markets,” said Curtis Foltz, executive director of the Georgia Ports Authority, which operates Savannah’s port.

The inland port concept, which has been in place in Virginia at Front Royal for more than two decades, allows shippers to drop off and receive shipments at the inland location and then have the freight moved directly to and from the port by train.

Typically, the inland port supports shipments that move 350 miles or less by truck to locations such as Cordele and is intended to reduce traffic congestion and pollution in port areas on a cost-effective basis.

CSX will provide rail service in the Savannah, Ga., area. Two short line carriers, the Heart of Georgia Railroad and the Georgia Central Railroad will offer overnight service from the new facility to the port area.

When the second phase is completed, the port will have the capacity to handle 100,000 shipments annually, according to a June 18 joint statement by the agency and the company.

The Ohio project includes the development of a new intermodal facility at New Baltimore, Ohio, near Toledo that is intended to be the hub for CSX’s expanded intermodal service between East Coast ports and inland cities such as Cleveland, Columbus and Detroit.

The joint announcement by CSX and the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority reported the delivery of five new wide-span cranes that will be used when service begins next year, with CSX providing longhaul rail service.

“These cranes represent a major part of the revolution in environmentally friendly freight transportation taking place in this region” said Peter Craig, terminal superintendent. “Once installed, the cranes will reduce emissions and improve the efficiency of our operations throughout the Midwest.”

Germany’s Hans Kuenz GmbH built the electric-powered cranes that can transfer containers directly between trucks and rail service. Smaller cranes can’t make that direct transfer and require an intermediate step of taking the container off the train or truck at a nearby location.

The new facility also will have optical scanners to speed truck shipments and automatically generate truck reports without requiring clerical assistance by a person. In addition, the terminal will have rail ties made of recycled steel.

Another short-line, the Evansville & Western Railway, is building the New Baltimore terminal and will operate it.

CSX announced separately that it was combining its intermodal group that had been a separate unit of the company for more than two decades into the railroad as of June 25.

CSX didn’t state any reason for the change in a Web posting and didn’t provide additional comment when it was requested.