MOBILE, Ala. — The operator of the intermodal facility at the Port of Mobile announced plans Tuesday for a $60 million upgrade that will help the effort to more than double the port’s container capacity.
Al.com reports that APM Terminals Mobile will double the amount of track at the Intermodal Container Transfer Facility to 12,000 feet, while additional storage space, equipment and access will “enhance productivity, safety, and supply chain speed.”
“Our customers are looking for expanded options for their supply chains, so we are focusing on faster connections to rail providers into inland markets,” said Leo Huisman, head of APM Terminals Americas, according to Al.com. “These improvements and our expanded rail facility will ensure customer competitiveness and strengthen Alabama as the preferred logistics corridor.”
John Driscoll, CEO of the Alabama Port Authority, told the news site the APM project complements a $25 million bridge project by the authority to provide a direct connection for trucks to reach the container transfer facility. Currently, trucks move containers from ships to the ICTF, then may require a second move before they are loaded onto trains. Construction of the bridge may eliminate the second transfer.
Mobile handled more than 500,000 20-foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) of containers in 2022, and will reach a capacity of more than 1 million TEUs by 2025.
The port is served by its own short line, Terminal Railway Alabama State Docks, and offers connections to five Class I railroads and three other short lines.
