Norfolk Southern secures Georgia inland port contract

By Staff Writer Atlanta Trend

• Dec 29, 2023

Norfolk Southern Corporation will provide rail service to the Georgia Ports Authority's (GPA) new inland terminal in Gainesville, Georgia. The Blue Ridge Connector will improve Northeast Georgia's link to the global supply chain in concert with the Port of Savannah's 35 global container ship services. The announcement comes as US East Coast ports now handle 54 percent of the nation's global trade.

A rendering, provided by the Georgia Ports Authority, of the Blue Ridge Connector terminal to be served by Norfolk Southern rail.

"Georgia is among the fastest-growing states and consistently ranked among the top to do business," said Norfolk Southern Chief Marketing Officer Ed Elkins. "The Georgia Ports Authority is an important partner to Norfolk Southern, a gateway for our customers, and an engine for economic growth. We look forward to building on our strong relationship and helping our mutual customers grow."

Norfolk Southern's rail network reaches more than 50 percent of the US population and is the most extensive intermodal franchise in the Eastern US. The company is also the largest shipper of auto products and metals in North America. Norfolk Southern will link the Blue Ridge Connector inland terminal to GPA's Mason Mega Rail terminal in Savannah. Opening in 2026, the new terminal will serve a range of industries including consumer goods, heavy equipment, food, and forest products. Once completed, the Blue Ridge Connector will have 18,000 feet of trackage and a capacity of 200,000 lifts annually, building upon the nearly 20 percent of GPA's container cargo that moves by rail today.

"Norfolk Southern is leading the industry in charting a better way to do business with rail," continued Elkins. "Because we have the right strategy, which balances service, productivity, and growth, we can leverage our strategic footprint and macroeconomic trends working in our favor to confidently make these plans for smart, sustainable growth. Our involvement in this project is the strategy in action and a glimpse at the future of Norfolk Southern."

"We are looking forward to building on our partnership with Norfolk Southern at the state-of-the-art Blue Ridge Connector," said Georgia Ports Authority President and CEO Griff Lynch. "This important investment will help our mutual customers streamline their supply chains while reducing congestion on Georgia highways. In addition to the positive impact to business, every container moved by rail will avoid a 600-mile roundtrip by truck between Savannah and the Gainesville area. That's a massive benefit to cargo owners seeking to reduce their carbon footprint."