Georgia Ports Authority to open Gainesville rail terminal May 4

The Georgia Ports Authority's (GPA) new Gainesville Inland Port, previously known as the Blue Ridge Connector, is slated to open May 4.

Once open, the inland rail terminal will provide shippers with direct Norfolk Southern Railway service five days a week between Gainesville and Savannah, Georgia. A 600-mile round trip, the rail service is expected to reduce trucks on Georgia highways and around Atlanta, GPA officials said in a press release. Additionally, the service will connect shippers to the Savannah port. 

At full buildout, the Gainesville Inland Port will have annual capacity of 200,000 intermodal containers, they added. The cost to develop the inland port was $134 million, according to the press release. To reduce impact of the rail yard on the Gainesville community, the GPA provided $4.8 million for projects in Hall County, including the elimination of a grade crossing.