Stockton extends rail tracks by a mile

   California’s Port of Stockton has added 5,825 feet of new track in a public-private partnership with Union Pacific Railroad and Metro Ports.
   The $1.2 million addition to the east port interchange tracks forms a loop that will allow inbound and outbound trains to operate without interfering with operations at the port’s east complex.
   The improvement will enable the port to receive an additional three bulk cargo unit trains with export iron ore or coal per week, increasing capacity to six weekly. Due to the expansion, the port plans to employ up to 18 additional daily longshore workers to move cargo between the trains and ships. The typically mile-long strings of hopper cars in the bulk-unit trains deliver iron ore and coal bound for China.
   “We’ve gotten heavily into the iron ore and coal export business,” said Mark Tollini, deputy port director. “This extension doubles our capacity, enabling us to accommodate the demand for additional volume.”
   The Port of Stockton began handling iron ore shipments in 2011. It became the port’s largest single export, with shipments reaching close to 800,000 metric tons. These ore shipments contributed to export volumes surpassing imports for the first time in the port’s recent history.
   The track was constructed by Industrial Railways Construction Co. and completed ahead of schedule in just 100 days. The project was managed by Central California Traction, the short-line railroad that serves the port on behalf of BNSF and UP. The port said the extended tracks improve interchanges between all the rail companies and reduce rail equipment dwell-time at the port.