CHARLOTTE, N.C. — CSX Intermodal (CSXI) announced today it will invest nearly $8 million early this year to expand a local terminal, the latest investment to support growth in consumer goods transportation.
“The Charlotte terminal is a key link in our eastern network, and upgrades will help us provide better service to our customers while enabling us to meet increasing demand in the area,” said Jim Hertwig, president, CSXI. “Intermodal efficiently moves freight in a fuel-efficient and environmentally responsible way.”
With the expansions, which are subject to various state and local approvals, CSXI is responding to the needs of the Charlotte business community and the State of North Carolina for increased intermodal capacity in the Charlotte market. CSXI is working with the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) to plan the facility projects.
“This investment by CSX Intermodal will enhance the productivity of our transportation network, benefiting retailers and consumers in North Carolina,” said State Transportation Secretary Lyndo Tippett. “We certainly appreciate CSXI’s efforts to expand the Charlotte terminal and provide new opportunities for the Metrolina region.”
Enhancements at the Charlotte facility, located on Hovis Road, will include up to 10,000 feet of extended tracks within the terminal, added loading and unloading equipment, expanded parking capacity for trailers, and improvements on the rail route that leads into Charlotte. The expansion will also include technology upgrades to allow truck drivers to enter and exit the facility more efficiently.
Intermodal moves consumer goods in containers and trailers that travel by a variety of transportation modes, including trains, trucks and marine vessels. One intermodal train removes approximately 200 trucks from the nation’s increasingly congested highways.
When complete, the planned improvements will double the Charlotte terminal’s capacity from 80,000 lifts to 160,000 annual lifts.
One “lift” moves a container or trailer on or off a train.
The Charlotte terminal expansion is one of several capital projects which are planned for CSXI’s terminal network as the company continues to accommodate projected capacity increases during the next five years.
CSXI terminal expansions or improvements are planned and underway in Buffalo, N.Y., Tampa, Fla., and Chicago, Ill., and a new facility in Chambersburg, Pa., is scheduled to open in September of this year.
— PRNewswire
