Work begins at $92M rail cargo site at Charlotte Douglas

The 200-acre facility, known is an intermodal yard, will handle cargo transfers between trucks and trains for Norfolk Southern

Source The Charlotte Observer, N.C.

May 3, 2012

2 min read

May 03--Business leaders and government officials ceremonially shoveled dirt Wednesday at Charlotte Douglas International Airport to kick off construction of a $92-million rail cargo transfer station that's expected to bring in billions of dollars worth of business.

The 200-acre facility, known is an intermodal yard, will handle cargo transfers between trucks and trains for Norfolk Southern. The company said the facility will be able to handle 200,000 lifts, or cargo container transfers, per year. Expected to be operational in late 2013, the intermodal yard will replace Norfolk Southern's current 40-acre facility just north of uptown.

Norfolk Southern will shut down the existing rail yard entirely, transferring all work to the airport site. "We'll also enable some redevelopment in our inner city," said Mayor Anthony Foxx, although the ultimate disposition of the 40-acre site hasn't been decided.

The intermodal yard is on the airport's south side, just off West Boulevard, between two of the airport's parallel runways.

In addition to switching cargo containers from trains to trucks, the facility will allow links between ports on the coast and air transport at Charlotte Douglas.

Norfolk Southern is paying $76.3 million of the construction costs, with the remainder covered by a $15.7 million federal grant. North Carolina and the city of Charlotte have also funded $9.7 million worth of road improvements tied to the project, such as a new interchange at Interstate 485 and West Boulevard to allow trucks easy access to the facility.

Under the terms of a 10-year lease, Norfolk Southern will pay the airport $1 million a year in rent.

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