PHOENIX — Union Pacific has opened its Phoenix Intermodal Terminal, the latest addition to the railroad’s “pop-up” terminal strategy to test markets before building large, permanent facilities.
The railroad says in an article on its website that the facility opened Feb. 1, 45 days after it first announced plans for the facility [see “Union Pacific to open new international intermodal terminal …,” Trains News Wire, Nov. 29, 2023].
The facility was built within UP’s existing downtown rail yard, which will allow expansion as demand warrants. It offers service to and from the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, as well as UP’s Intermodal Container Transfer Facility in Long Beach. Drayage is provided by Buckeye, Ariz., logistics firm Duncan & Sons Lines. While the facility is now in operation, construction still to come includes lighting, surface hardening, and an office building.
“The opening of Union Pacific’s new Phoenix facility is an exciting opportunity that provides an unmatched international intermodal option for our shippers to reach the growing market in Arizona and surrounding areas,” said Kenny Rocker, UP executive vice president-marketing and sales. “This terminal demonstrates our ability to improve the utilization of an existing asset to generate growth and provide a faster speed to market for our customers.”
I still wonder about the logic of not having a direct route to LA from phoenix, having to go south east to the Sunset line and then back to LA or vs Versa seems like a waste.
My thoughts exactly. Never could understand why UP cut the Weldon line. Only reason they gave was that little traffic originated on this line. While that may be true, they missed the big picture. UP spent numerous millions in double tracking their line through Arizona,
The majority of traffic on the Sunset route is East bound. Instead of double tracking they could have used the longer Weldon Line for West bound trains, allowing for the occasional east bound passenger train. Would have saved them a ton of money and kept train operations more flexible.
They again, I’m just a casual railfan with NO railroading experience. What do I know.
Not really story related but those UP locos without the wings on the nose are just sort of “bland” looking… Ii know the large flags proved to be a problem for maintenance but the nose wings were great looking. Of course, corporate brand’ers are always anal about these kind of things but that shield just looks “hidden” on that GE…
Nice to see a railroad in growth mode for new business.
Too bad the Surface Transportation Board and the USDOT aren’t as supportive of small shortline growth opportunities as they are the Class Ones. Just ask the folks at Uinta Basin Railway and Savage Tooele in Utah how they feel about the support they have received in their efforts to make their growth opportunities a reality…