Rail lifts increase strongly at Huntsville

News 16 Feb 2024 by WCN Editorial

The North Alabama inland Port of Huntsville has reported another impressive year of growth with rail traffic at the port’s International Intermodal Center (IIC) increasing by 24% in 2023. A total of 27,597 lifts was recorded.

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Rail traffic processed at the Port of Huntsville’s International Intermodal Center increased rapidly in 2023 © Port-of-Huntsville-Depot-Yard_rt.jpg

The IIC is the only inland port in North Alabama and it also serves shippers/consignees in south and central Tennessee. It handles a mix of domestic and international cargo and its facilities include 436,000ft² of warehousing and distribution facilities for air cargo shipments and 35,000ft² of cold storage capacity. The Port of Huntsville is located alongside the Interstate-565 and has a five mile rail spur that directly connects the intermodal rail yard to Norfolk Southern’s mainline network.

“We are proud of our successful track record because more than 400 companies trust our capabilities to provide excellent customer service that is vital to their operations,” explained Butch Roberts, CEO of the Port of Huntsville. “Rail traffic has increased year-over-year thanks to our partnership with 14 steamship lines and service provided by Norfolk Southern (NS).”

He added: “We have invested more than US$70M in rail intermodal infrastructure and US$230M in air cargo infrastructure. These investments, along with the presence of first-class amenities including a depot storage yard and U.S. Customs onsite guarantee a bright future.”

It was a view shared by Shawn Tureman, VP Intermodal and Automotive Marketing at NS. “The Huntsville and North Alabama community is a fast-growing part of the state and supports a number of important industries from aerospace to automotive,” he said. “Our partnership with the Port of Huntsville allows us to bring Alabama and Tennessee businesses access to major U.S. seaports. Together, we are ensuring that businesses can enjoy efficient, reliable, and economical intermodal service that ensures speed to market of their products.”