Corpus Christi moves forward on rail yard construction

   Port Corpus Christi commissioners on Tuesday approved a grant agreement with the U.S. Maritime Administration outlining the terms and conditions for the use of funds to start construction of the Nueces River Rail Yard. 
   On June 21, 2012, the U.S. Department of Transportation awarded a $10 million Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant to the port for phase I construction of the) rail yard. When complete the rail yard will include an 8,000-foot unit train siding and a four ladder track interchange yard totaling 15,400 track feet, enough space for over 335 railcars, the Texas Gulf port said.
   The construction contract documents for phase I of the rail yard are nearly complete, and the project is scheduled to be advertised for bidding later this month, the port said.
   The total estimated cost for this phase of the rail yard is estimated to be $18 million. The port authority will provide $8 million in funding for the project and expects to recover about half of this amount from a surcharge fee that will be assessed to rail providers.
   “The expansion of the port’s rail capabilities is an important logistics project critical to the port’s strategic diversification efforts,” said Mike Carrell, Port Corpus Christi commission chairman, in a statement. “The Nueces Rail Yard will support the growth of movement of goods capabilities in and out of the port.”