Port of Long Beach receives $14.5 million grant for rail project

The Port of Long Beach says it has been awarded a $14.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration to help fund the “Terminal Island Wye Track Realignment” railroad project, which will move trains in and out of the Port faster, reduce locomotive idling and improve safety.

The project will dramatically improve rail efficiency throughout the port complex, especially on Terminal Island, which is home to the Port’s largest container terminal, Pier T. The project will construct new tracks and enhance a triangular rail junction where long trains can be turned and staged.
 
“We’re so pleased to see the U.S. Department of Transportation support this important project,” said Mario Cordero, Executive Director of the Port of Long Beach. “This will help to move cargo more efficiently through the Port, which in turn supports jobs across the United States.”
 
This grant is one of the first from MARAD’s new Port Infrastructure Development Program. The funding from this program is specifically designed for capital improvement projects at U.S. seaports.

The total project cost is $40 million, and the Port will fund the remaining $25.5 million. The TI Wye project will support the Port’s plan to increase on-dock rail, and will also improve rail access to two Long Beach bulk terminals on the eastern end of Pier T.
 
“This grant will help the Port continue to modernize infrastructure to deliver goods faster and bolster our local and state economies,” said Bonnie Lowenthal, President of the Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners.
 
The project is scheduled to start construction in mid 2021 and be completed by early 2023.