The Port of Long Beach announced that it would receive US$283 million from the federal government to assist in building "America's Green Gateway," a rail project which will enable one of the US' busiest seaports to move more cargo by trains, speeding deliveries across the entire national supply chain, easing congestion and lessening local environmental impacts.

The port said the funding was awarded for the Port's Pier B On-Dock Rail Support Facility. The US$1.567 billion project is the centrepiece of the Port of Long Beach on-dock rail construction improvements.

In its statement, the port noted that moving cargo by on-dock rail — directly moving containers to and from marine terminals by trains — is cleaner and more efficient, as it reduces truck traffic.

It added that when the new facility opens, no cargo trucks will visit. Instead, smaller train segments will be brought to the facility and joined together into a full-sized train.

Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson said the Pier B Rail project represents a vital infrastructure investment that will improve the Port of Long Beach's sustainability and efficiency, bringing us up to 35% on-dock rail capacity in its terminals.

"The impact this funding will have on developing this project of national importance is staggering," Mario Cordero, chief executive officer at the Port of Long Beach, said.

"This is a facility that will help move cargo more efficiently to homes and businesses across America and from U.S. producers to overseas markets, resulting in systemwide benefits to the supply chain," he added, noting that the project is a significant investment in sustainable, efficient cargo movement.

Due to the importance of the Pier B On-Dock Rail Support Facility to the national supply chain, the Port continues to seek funding partners for the project. 

The California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA)  in July 2023 announced a grant of US$158 million from the Port and Freight Infrastructure Program to help fund the Pier B project as an important part of the state's cargo movement strategy.

The federal government previously awarded almost US$105 million to the project. To date, the Port has secured more than US$640 million in grant funding for Pier B.

Construction is expected to begin next year.

Port of Long Beach said the new facility will more than double the size of the existing Pier B rail yard from 82 acres to 171 acres and more than triple the volume of on-dock rail cargo the Port can handle annually, from 1.5 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) to 4.7 million TEUs.

The yard will also feature a depot for fueling and servicing up to 30 locomotives at the same time and a full-service staging area to assemble and break down trains up to 10,000 feet long.

The overall project will be built in phases, each improving cargo flow, with completion by 2032.