Rail upgrade for Port of Wilmington

“We realised the need for additional track to increase storage capacity within the Port and alleviate congestion some time ago,” said North Carolina State Ports Authority CEO Tom Eagar. “Until now, assembling outbound trains has been inefficient, with railcars scattered throughout the Port.”

The Ports Authority contributed $600,000 toward the cost of construction of the new interchange siding, which it has leased to Wilmington Terminal Railroad LLC (WTR). WTR already operates more than 18 miles of railroad track on the port – four miles of it main line, with the rest in the yard and industry spurs.

By increasing storage capacity, the project expedites the building of daily westbound trains of 40–60 cars destined for CSX Transportation’s Davis yard in Leland, N.C., and minimises the impact on public crossings near the Port. In addition to cargo being imported and exported through the Port of Wilmington, the daily trains provide services to other companies up and down the Cape Fear River. The extra storage track also facilitates military movements and will allow for the building of double-stack trains in future, according to the Port Authority.