The Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) is expanding its rail cargo capacity to transport containers more efficiently from Georgia to the Midwest.

 

Speaking at the inaugural Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce Logistics Forum on Tuesday, August 6, GPA general manager of Inland Operations Wesley Barrell said the development of the Blue Ridge Connector, near Gainesville, Ga., is underway.

 

"Construction is moving along well. With another six weeks of earthwork, the rail yard grade will be met, allowing additional engineering to advance," he said. "We are working closely with Norfolk Southern on tying our infrastructure into their existing track."

 

When complete, the 104-acre site will feature six tracks for 18,000 feet. The inland port will link Northeast Georgia with the Port of Savannah's 36 global container ship services that call each week.

 

Meanwhile, Norfolk Southern Railroad will operate the Blue Ridge Connector five days a week, from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.

 

Barrell noted that GPA will provide expedited service from Savannah to the BRC with third-day availability.

 

Barrell addressed the crowd gathered at Lanier Technical College in Gainesville and said local businesses, such as poultry producers, are very interested in the new rail terminal.

 

"We will offer refrigerated cargo by rail with this unique transit from the Blue Ridge Connector to Savannah," he said. "There are five cold storage freezers within five miles of our location, and more than 50 users of those cold storage facilities. We look to provide services to this customer base."

 

The US$127 million facility, scheduled to open in 2026, will serve an existing customer base that also includes producers of heavy equipment and forest products.

 

An existing, locally owned company recently began operating a foreign trade zone in the area. Barrell noted that in this zone, import cargo may be held for storage, assembly or manufacturing without payment of duties until the goods move into the domestic market.

 

Located within 10 miles of the BRC, the FTZ was established to serve international cargo moving through the rail yard and will give cargo owners greater flexibility in the timing of their supply chain.

 

For port customers, intermodal service to Savannah will offer a competitive transportation option with a reduced carbon footprint through lower emissions per container.

 

Barrell said customers will no longer need to truck containers through Hall County to the Port of Savannah because shorter routes to the inland port will become possible.

 

Additionally, every container moved by rail means fewer trucks on state highways moving through the Atlanta area. The Blue Ridge Connector will have an annual capacity of 200,000 containers.

 

Mason Mega Rail

 

Georgia Ports' inland rail connections are supported by the largest on-port intermodal facility in North America, the Port of Savannah's Mason Mega Rail Terminal.

 

Barrell said with 24 miles of on-terminal track, Mason Mega Rail provides ample space to take on new rail business.

 

It is also capable of serving six 10,000-foot trains simultaneously. Mason Mega Rail doubles Georgia Ports' previous intermodal capacity to 2 million TEUs a year. It is integral to GPA's "1,2,3" cargo strategy — one day off the vessel, two days of transportation, and third-day availability.

 

"That unmatched capacity links Savannah to a broad swath of inland markets through Class I rail service," Barrell added. "By speeding the flow of cargo, Mason Mega Rail is changing the way cargo reaches a wide network of inland destinations from Atlanta and Dallas to Memphis, Chicago and other destinations across the Midwest."

 

Cargo moves from vessel offload to departing rail in Savannah in just 29 hours, the fastest of any major U.S. port.

 

The Blue Ridge Connector is the latest step in GPA's strategic rail strategy.

 

Beyond the Savannah market, the Georgia Ports Authority operates the Appalachian Regional Port in Northwest Georgia.

 

Barrell said customers could take advantage of inland ports to move cargo closer to destination markets by rail, reducing overall supply chain emissions compared to all-truck transit.

 

In Fiscal Year 2024, which ended June 30, GPA achieved a record trade of 36,730 rail lifts at its ARP, a 9% increase over FY2023, which was itself a record year for the terminal near Chatsworth in Northwest Georgia.