Port of Long Beach receives $52.3 million grant for rail project
The Port of Long Beach has been awarded a $52.3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Maritime Administration to help fund development of the “Pier B On-Dock Rail Support Facility,” which will enable the nation’s second-largest seaport to move more cargo by train, improving efficiency and lessening environmental impacts, according to the company's release.
The planned project is the centerpiece of the Port of Long Beach’s approximately $1 billion rail capital improvement program. Moving cargo by on-dock rail – directly transferring containers to and from marine terminals by train – is cleaner and more efficient, as it reduces truck traffic. No cargo trucks will visit the facility. Instead, smaller train segments will be brought to the facility and joined together into a full-sized train.
MARAD’s Port Infrastructure Development Program is providing the grant. The funding from the program is specifically designed for capital improvement projects at U.S. seaports.
Pier B On-Dock Rail Support Facility construction is set to begin in 2023. The first arrival, departure and storage tracks are expected to be completed in 2025, with additional tracks coming online in 2030, followed by project completion in 2032.
The Port of Long Beach is one of the world’s premier seaports, a gateway for trans-Pacific trade and a trailblazer in goods movement and environmental stewardship. With 175 shipping lines connecting Long Beach to 217 seaports, the Port handles $200 billion in trade annually, supporting more than 575,000 Southern California jobs.
