Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) General Manager of Inland Operations Wesley Barrell sat down with Associate Editor Grace Renderman May 16 to discuss GPA's "Network Georgia" plan and its strategy to further expand rail operations to inland markets. Based in northwest Georgia at the port authority's Appalachian Regional Port (ARP) — which features direct rail service to the Port of Savannah via CSX — Barrell explained that GPA is extending its rail reach across the state through establishing new terminals and rail hubs in key locations.
Opened in 2018, ARP is one of a handful of hubs and terminals GPA plans to add as as a result of recent and future anticipated growth. The Mason Mega Rail Terminal near the Port of Savannah opened in 2020, while the trucking-led Savannah Transload Facility will open in July. And an expansion on the west end of the Port of Savannah's Garden City Terminal is expected to be completed in 2024. Additionally, GPA earned federal environmental approval of a new rail hub to be built in Gainesville and served by Norfolk Southern Railway.
"Over the past 10 years, the Port of Savannah invested $1.2 billion in infrastructure projects, and now with $4.5 billion approved for the upcoming 12 years, these projects … will assist with additional yard space and flex capacity," Barrell said.
Watch/listen to the interview in full:
