Rail, Sea

GPA breaks ground on Appalachian Regional Port

[ February 1, 2017   //   Gary G Burrows ]

In its effort to stay ahead of demand and accommodate future needs, the GPA broke ground last month on its new inland terminal in Northwest Georgia – the Appalachian Regional Port. We estimate the CSX rail route will reduce Atlanta truck traffic by 50,000 moves annually, and expand GPA’s target market in Alabama, Tennessee and Kentucky.

The inland port model means containers can be trucked for shorter distances and staged at the intermodal yard, where they are loaded onto trains moving hundreds of containers in a single trip.

The Appalachian Regional Port will deliver savings within the supply chain and environmental benefits through reduced diesel consumption. Each container moved by rail from the inland terminal will offset 355 truck miles on Georgia highways.

As magnets for industry, inland terminals offer important opportunities for economic development. In fact, a new carpet factory recently located near the the ARP site to take advantage of the inland terminal’s future benefits.

Construction on the ARP is expected to take just under two years, with the start of operations targeted for the third quarter of calendar year 2018.

Tags: Appalachian Regional Port