Norfolk Southern has begun offering a direct daily rail service between the Port of Charleston, South Carolina, and Huntsville, Alabama, extending the South Carolina Ports Authority's reach into new Southeast markets, according to a Sept. 11 announcement from SC Ports.
The new intermodal route is designed to connect shippers using the Charleston port to markets in North Alabama and Middle Tennessee. Shawn Tureman, Norfolk Southern's vice president of intermodal and automotive marketing, said the service gives shippers a reliable, cost-effective option for moving freight throughout the region.
About a quarter of the cargo volume moving through SC Ports already travels by rail, according to the announcement. Shippers using the port's intermodal network can also connect through hubs in Atlanta; Birmingham, Alabama; Memphis and Nashville, Tennessee; Charlotte, North Carolina; and Louisville, Kentucky.
The Huntsville route builds on a series of infrastructure investments SC Ports has made to expand capacity. Last year, the port completed a $55 million expansion of its Inland Port Greer facility, increasing cargo capacity by 50% and adding 9,000 feet of rail track to accommodate longer trains. More recently, the port signed an agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to study deepening the channel at its North Charleston terminal, a project port officials say could support further cargo growth.
Norfolk Southern already runs daily and overnight rail service to Inland Port Greer, located along the I-85 corridor between Atlanta and Charlotte.
Source: Trucking Dive -- https://www.truckingdive.com/news/sc-ports-norfolk-southerns-intermodal-service-grows-southeast-reach/830781/