CSX drastically strengthens presence in North Carolina

The Jacksonville, Fla.-based railway will construct a $270 million intermodal rail hub in Rocky Mount, N.C. in addition to launching a new intermodal rail service within the state between the Port of Wilmington and Charlotte.    CSX will construct a $270 million intermodal rail hub in Rocky Mount, N.C. in addition to launching a new intermodal rail service within the state between the Port of Wilmington and Charlotte.
   The rail service is slated to commence operations in September.
   The Class I railway originally announced in January the intermodal rail hub, which is dubbed the Carolina Connector (CCX), would be constructed in Johnston County. However, there was community opposition to the terminal in Johnston County.
   North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory joined officials from the North Carolina Transportation Department and CSX Corporation today at the Port of Wilmington to announce the debut of the new intermodal service, which has been dubbed the Queen City Express. Charlotte is one of many U.S. cities nicknamed the Queen City.
   “The Queen City Express will be the only direct freight rail service into the Greater Charlotte area from a port in the Southeast,” Governor McCrory said. “The introduction of this new service will facilitate the efficient, cost-effective movement of goods between the global marketplace and one of the most significant economic centers in the southeastern United States.”
   North Carolina Ports Authority Executive Director Paul J. Cozza said, “The return of intermodal rail to the Port of Wilmington expands our reach into an underserved market.”
   CSX will eventually provide direct access from the Port of Wilmington to the Carolina Connector intermodal terminal in Rocky Mount.
   The governor’s office said the Carolina Connector intermodal terminal, along with the Queen City Express, will lower transportation costs for businesses while taking trucks off the road. Transporting goods by rail will reduce congestion and wear and tear on the state’s highways, as well as improve safety and air quality. One intermodal train can eliminate as many as 280 trucks from the highway.
   According to a recent North Carolina Ports Authority survey, 90 percent of customers need intermodal service.
   Earlier this month, the largest-ever container ship to call Wilmington, the 7,500-TEU Hanjin Baltimore, called the port.
   North Carolina State Ports Authority is moving forward with a $100 million investment in infrastructure improvements including new cranes, an enhanced berth and a wider turning basin in order to handle larger ships.
   CSX said the intermodal terminal will use a “low impact” terminal design that incorporates directional lighting, along with electric cranes to minimize noise, light and emissions.