Port of Long Beach to make cargo movement more efficient with $52.3M grant

The Port of Long Beach has been awarded a $52.3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) to help fund the development of a new rail project.

As disclosed, the funds will be used for the “Pier B On-Dock Rail Support Facility”, which will enable the US second-largest seaport to move more cargo by train, improving efficiency and lessening environmental impacts.

The planned project is the centerpiece of the Port of Long Beach’s approximately $1 billion rail capital improvement program. Moving cargo by on-dock rail – directly transferring containers to and from marine terminals by train – is cleaner and more efficient, as it reduces truck traffic, according to the port authority. No cargo trucks will visit the facility. Instead, smaller train segments will be brought to the facility and joined together into a full-sized train.

“We appreciate the U.S. Department of Transportation’s support for this important project. It will help to move cargo more efficiently through the Port, getting needed products and goods to homes and businesses across America faster,” said Port of Long Beach Executive Director Mario Cordero.

The construction of the facility is set to begin in 2023. The first arrival, departure and storage tracks are expected to be completed in 2025, with additional tracks coming online in 2030, followed by project completion in 2032.

MARAD’s Port Infrastructure Development Program is providing the grant. The funding from the program is specifically designed for capital improvement projects at U.S. seaports. The U.S. government has allocated more than $241 million in discretionary grant funding for 25 projects.

“Our federal partners have recognized the need to modernize the Port and support our push toward 24/7 operations,” said Harbor Commission President Steven Neal.

“These investments have benefits from coast to coast since cargo from the Port of Long Beach reaches every congressional district.”

A few days ago, the Port of Long Beach revealed it has partnered up with the US technology consulting firm UNCOMN to launch a free-to-stakeholders cargo visibility service software. The software named Supply Chain Infomation Highway will help shippers make better operational decisions by providing the data to integrate their own systems and track their cargo through the complete supply chain.