ATWATER, Calif. — The California State Transportation Agency, or CalSTA, has awarded Merced County a $49.6 million grant for buildout of an inland port at the Castle Commerce Center, a 1,900-acre freight transportation hub at the site of the former Castle Air Force Base.
The grant, one of the largest in the history of the county and the San Joaquin Valley, will increase the Commerce Center’s existing rail capacity by allowing the development of 70 acres to support pre-shipment processing and intermodal cross-docking for agricultural producers; expanding rail lines to a new staging and container laydown area to support that processing and cross-docking; and funding evaluation, engineering, and planning for further expansion.
“This is a win for the entire region,” Scott Silveira, chairman of the county board of supervisors, said in a press release. “From local agricultural producers to major manufacturers throughout the Valley, being able to transport goods in a quick and efficient manner is absolutely critical. This grant will position us to drive our economy in the right direction.”
The projects will allow the inland port to support addition traffic to and from the ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach, and Oakland.
Castle’s rail district, in the southeastern corner of the facility, began operation in May 2022 and is served by Patriot Rail, with a connection to the adjacent BNSF Railway main line. The Commerce Center says it has led to a tripling of shipping to and from the facility in recent months.
“Patriot Rail is privileged to partner with Merced County to advance the rail foundation of an inland port at the Castle Commerce Center,” said Patriot CEO John E. Fenton.
Why isn’t this project paid for by the for profit companies instead of corporate welfare paid for by the taxpayers?
Good luck getting the bnsf on board with the containers. They don’t want them to go annywhere except to Stockton intermodal 50 miles away. They shut down the Fresno ramp for that same reason