Port of Corpus Christi opens rail yard's first phase

Port Corpus Christi officials last week opened the first phase of the Nueces River Rail Yard, a joint venture between the port and the U.S. Department of Transportation.

The two-phase project in Corpus Christi, Texas, involves the construction of a 9,920-foot-long siding for unit trains and a four-ladder track interchange yard totaling 15,300 square feet that can accommodate 253 rail cars. The project is designed to improve efficiency of existing cargo movement at the port's multimodal facilities, port officials said in a press release.

Phase I is an $18 million project funded in part by a $10 million federal grant from the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER IV) program. Remaining funds will be covered by Union Pacific Railroad, Kansas City Southern, BNSF Railway Co., Genesee & Wyoming Inc. and Port Corpus Christi.

"The Nueces River Rail Yard is an excellent example of where public entities and private entities can align interest, jointly invest and develop infrastructure which serves both the public and private interests and create economic opportunity for all included," said French Thompson, BNSF's director of public private partnerships, in a prepared statement.

The rail yard project's second phase will be funded by a $22 million grant from the Texas Department of Transportation and $6 million from the port.

Slated for completion in first-quarter 2017, the second phase will increase the yard capacity to eight 8,000-foot-long sidings for unit trains and storage for 1,247 rail cars.