Georgia port's January rail cargo soared 27%

Cargo moved by rail at the Port of Savannah reached 47,132 containers in January, an increase of 10,000 boxes, or 27%, according to the Georgia Ports Authority (GPA).

"Customers 250 miles inland and greater are tapping Savannah as their port of choice for ag exports, manufacturing components and retail goods,” said GPA President and CEO Griff Lynch in a news release.

GPA finished its $220 million Mason Mega Rail project at the Savannah port last year, providing 24 miles of on-terminal track. The authority handled 428,000 20-foot equivalent units in January, an increase of 6,300 containers, or 1.5%, compared to the same month last year.

At the Port of Brunswick, the Colonel’s Island Terminal handled 65,400 units of roll-on/roll-off cargo in January, placing the GPA on track to handle a record 800,000 vehicles in fiscal-year 2024, authority officials said. The GPA's monthly average for roll-on/roll-off cargo is 69,000 units in the fiscal year to date compared to a monthly average of 60,400 units in the previous fiscal year.

"The investments we’ve made in rail capacity have not only increased the number of containers the Port of Savannah can handle each year, but extended our reach to new markets that can be served effectively by the Garden City Terminal," said Lynch.