The Port of Virginia has announced the full operation of its expanded central rail yard that enhances the port’s capacity to process 2 million TEU annually by rail.

Construction of the US$83 million project at the Norfolk International Terminals (NIT) facility began in 2022 and, according to the port, was completed “on time and on budget”. The port used a US$20 million federal grant and a US$20 million grant from the state Department of Rail and Public Transportation to finance the development.

The project involved building two new rail track bundles and purchasing three all-electric cantilever rail-mounted gantry cranes from Konecranes. The investment followed the deployment of four Konecranes RMGs of a similar design at the Virginia International Gateway (VIG). The Port of Virginia is a longstanding Konecranes customer, with a fleet of 116 Konecranes Automated RMG (ARMG) cranes working at its NIT and VIG container terminals.

The expansion boosts the port’s annual on-dock rail capacity by 455,000 TEU, representing a 31% increase port-wide. It is part of the port’s larger US$1.4 billion Gateway Investment Programme. The initiative includes delivery of a deeper, and wider 55-foot deep channel, the expansion of North NIT and the creation of the Portsmouth offshore wind hub. Virginia wants to have three ultra-modern marine terminals capable of handling the largest ships afloat when the US$650 million modernisation of the North Berth at NIT is complete in 2027. NIT is the port’s largest terminal and will have more than 90 semi-automated stacking cranes and an annual terminal capacity of 3.6M TEU following ongoing expansion.

“Modernising and expanding the capability at NIT’s central rail yard gives us additional rail capacity ahead of the completion of the first phase of expansion at NIT’s North Berth [in 2025],” said Stephen A. Edwards, CEO and Executive Director of the Virginia Port Authority. “Cargo volumes coming to the US East Coast are steadily increasing and moving the cargo to market by rail, over The Port of Virginia, is smart business.”

The expansion enhances the port’s reach to important Midwestern population and manufacturing centres by train, Edwards said on August 6 at a ceremony to inaugurate the expansion.

Both of the East’s Class I rail carriers, Norfolk Southern and CSX, serve the port with regular, on- dock, double-stack service.

The Port of Virginia closed fiscal year 2024 having processed 3.5 million TEU, a 2% increase year-over-year and the second-best fiscal year performance in the port’s history.

Read also: More ASCs for Virginia

The Port of Virginia has announced the full operation of its expanded central rail yard that enhances the port’s capacity to process 2 million TEU annually by rail.

Construction of the US$83 million project at the Norfolk International Terminals (NIT) facility began in 2022 and, according to the port, was completed “on time and on budget”. The port used a US$20 million federal grant and a US$20 million grant from the state Department of Rail and Public Transportation to finance the development.

The project involved building two new rail track bundles and purchasing three all-electric cantilever rail-mounted gantry cranes from Konecranes. The investment followed the deployment of four Konecranes RMGs of a similar design at the Virginia International Gateway (VIG). The Port of Virginia is a longstanding Konecranes customer, with a fleet of 116 Konecranes Automated RMG (ARMG) cranes working at its NIT and VIG container terminals.

The expansion boosts the port’s annual on-dock rail capacity by 455,000 TEU, representing a 31% increase port-wide. It is part of the port’s larger US$1.4 billion Gateway Investment Programme. The initiative includes delivery of a deeper, and wider 55-foot deep channel, the expansion of North NIT and the creation of the Portsmouth offshore wind hub. Virginia wants to have three ultra-modern marine terminals capable of handling the largest ships afloat when the US$650 million modernisation of the North Berth at NIT is complete in 2027. NIT is the port’s largest terminal and will have more than 90 semi-automated stacking cranes and an annual terminal capacity of 3.6M TEU following ongoing expansion.

“Modernising and expanding the capability at NIT’s central rail yard gives us additional rail capacity ahead of the completion of the first phase of expansion at NIT’s North Berth [in 2025],” said Stephen A. Edwards, CEO and Executive Director of the Virginia Port Authority. “Cargo volumes coming to the US East Coast are steadily increasing and moving the cargo to market by rail, over The Port of Virginia, is smart business.”

The expansion enhances the port’s reach to important Midwestern population and manufacturing centres by train, Edwards said on August 6 at a ceremony to inaugurate the expansion.

Both of the East’s Class I rail carriers, Norfolk Southern and CSX, serve the port with regular, on- dock, double-stack service.

The Port of Virginia closed fiscal year 2024 having processed 3.5 million TEU, a 2% increase year-over-year and the second-best fiscal year performance in the port’s history.

Read also: More ASCs for Virginia