In a strategic move to bolster economic growth and enhance its competitiveness, South Carolina Ports (SC Ports) is significantly expanding its rail capacity across the state. This initiative, backed by rail partners and state leaders, is poised to transform the logistical landscape of South Carolina, ensuring a more efficient handling of goods and fortifying its position in the global supply chain.
At the heart of this expansion is the construction of the Navy Base Intermodal Facility in North Charleston, slated to open in July 2025. This state-of-the-art rail-served cargo facility will feature six rail-mounted gantry cranes, enhancing the movement of containers on and off trains operated by CSX and Norfolk Southern. This development underscores SC Ports’ commitment to growing rail capacity in the Port of Charleston, with Barbara Melvin, the SC Ports President and CEO, highlighting the initiative’s potential to swiftly move goods to market, thus elevating South Carolina’s competitive edge.
Further north, the Inland Port Greer has seen the addition of over 8,000 feet of rail track and is nearing the completion of its container yard expansion. These enhancements are set to double the port’s cargo capacity, illustrating the state’s focused efforts on building critical rail infrastructure and terminal capacity. These projects complement the billions of dollars invested in South Carolina by port-dependent businesses, showcasing a robust partnership between public and private sectors aimed at economic revitalization.
Despite a decline in total U.S. container volume in 2023, SC Ports reported a near 12% increase in intermodal volume, evidencing the effectiveness of its rail strategies, including the RapidRail program. This program ensures expedited movement of containers between ship and train, with imports moving to rail in less than 24 hours from vessel discharge. The record-setting performance of SC Ports’ Inland Port Greer and Inland Port Dillon in January, moving a combined 17,656 containers, further attests to the success of these initiatives.
However, it’s not just container movements that are seeing an uplift. The vehicle segment also reported a 32% year-over-year increase in January, with 17,614 vehicles handled, signaling broad-based gains across different cargo types. These developments, while enhancing logistical efficiencies, also reflect a slight downturn in container volumes at the Port of Charleston’s container terminals, a situation reflective of the broader U.S. context.
This ambitious expansion by SC Ports represents a significant leap forward in South Carolina’s logistical capabilities, promising to enhance the state’s economic landscape significantly. By investing in rail infrastructure and terminal capacity, SC Ports not only aims to facilitate the swift movement of goods but also to support the substantial investments made by port-dependent businesses in the region. As these projects come to fruition, they are expected to play a pivotal role in sustaining the state’s growth trajectory and reinforcing its position as a key player in the global supply chain.
