For first time since 1998, LA-Long Beach ports bid harbor rail services

Pacific Harbor Line handled 40,000 carloads in 2024

Union Pacific and Pacific Harbor Line trains handling port traffic meet in Wilmington, Calif., on Sept. 23, 2021. (Photo: David Lassen/Trains)

The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are now accepting proposals from prospective operators of the shortline railroad serving the largest U.S. container gateway.

Pacific Harbor Line has provided the service since 1998, the last time the contract was put out for bid. While the two ports are administered by the harbor departments of their respective cities, a single shortline network serves both ports. The operator selected will have to enter into separate operating agreements with each port; those agreements have different requirements.

The hubs handled almost 20 million containers in 2024 and have a goal of moving 35% of containers away from the facilities by train under a Clean Air Action Plan.

Proposals are due July 28 at 5 p.m. The request for proposals is available here.

Under the current contract, Pacific Harbor Line, an Anacostia Rail Holdings railroad, operates 19 route miles and 96 track miles, providing neutral service to Class I railroads BNSF and Union Pacific, nine intermodal terminals, and a number of carload customers in and around the two ports. It moves approximately 40,000 carloads with some 190 employees and a fleet of 25 locomotives.

One of the possible bidders listed in the RFP is Alameda Belt Line, a joint venture of BNSF and Union Pacific (NYSE: UNP) set up to dispatch intermodal trains on the Alameda Corridor into and out of the port complex.

A Pacific Harbor Line map of the rail network at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. (Map: Anacostia Rail Holdings)

Subscribe to FreightWaves’ Rail e-newsletter and get the latest insights on rail freight right in your inbox.

Related coverage:

Advisory team will drive overhaul of US railroad regulator

ITS Logistics report shows surge stressing US rail ramps after tariffs slashed

CN continues work to expand capacity and fluidity in Vancouver

Southern California international intermodal volume sees weekly decline

Upcoming FreightWaves Events
Fraud & Security

Freight Fraud Symposium

Double brokering. AI deepfakes. Identity theft. Freight fraud is an existential threat to the industry. Get ahead of it.

May 20, 2026
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame • Cleveland, OH
Register Now
AI & Technology

Supply Chain AI Symposium

Past the hype. Join operators, founders, and enterprise leaders figuring out how to deploy AI in supply chain.

July 15, 2026
The Old Post Office • Chicago, IL
Register Now
Rail & Policy

Future of Rail Symposium

Reshoring is rewriting freight demand. Join shippers, rail executives, and government officials to shape the next decade.

July 28, 2026
The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga, TN
Register Now
Fraud & Security Freight Fraud Symposium May 20 • Cleveland, OH

Double brokering. AI deepfakes. Identity theft. Freight fraud is an existential threat to the industry. Get ahead of it.

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame • Cleveland, OH Register Now
AI & Technology Supply Chain AI Symposium Jul 15 • Chicago, IL

Past the hype. Join operators, founders, and enterprise leaders figuring out how to deploy AI in supply chain.

The Old Post Office • Chicago, IL Register Now
Rail & Policy Future of Rail Symposium Jul 28 • Chattanooga, TN

Reshoring is rewriting freight demand. Join shippers, rail executives, and government officials to shape the next decade.

The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga, TN Register Now