Norfolk Southern to serve new Georgia inland port

Norfolk Southern Railway will provide service to a new inland port to be developed near Gainesville, Georgia, state and Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) officials announced yesterday.

Set to open in 2021, the Northeast Georgia Inland Port will be situated in the manufacturing and logistics corridor along Interstate 85 and operated by the GPA.

In addition to serving existing port customers, the new terminal will serve producers of heavy equipment, food and forest products, said Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal in a press release.

Handling both import and export containers at the terminal, NS will provide service on a direct rail route to and from the Port of Savannah's Garden City Terminal.

"Savannah is a rapidly growing gateway for global commerce, and Hall County and the surrounding region in Northeast Georgia are key areas of expansion in the state," said Jeff Heller, NS' vice president of intermodal and automotive. "Manufacturers and distributors around the globe continue to set their sights on this region for development."

The 104-acre terminal will be located in the Gateway Industrial Centre. At full buildout, the terminal will have the capacity to handle up to 150,000 containers annually, port and state officials said.