The New Orleans Public Belt Railroad (NOPB) has made substantial progress on two key infrastructure upgrade projects: the Transloading Industrial Park and the Claiborne Yard extension.
The NOPB Transloading Industrial Park, located off Jourdan Road in New Orleans East, aims to enable more efficient freight transport between trucks and trains into America’s heartland.
The facility, held by the Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA), will give a new NOPB client with cost-effective shipping choices while also opening up new markets, and encouraging regional economic growth.
Earlier this year, the NOPB Board of Commissioners granted Cycle Construction Company LLC a $2.2 million contract to build the transload yard.
Since breaking ground in April, building works have progressed and are now more than 85 per cent complete. The full project is planned to be finished in August, with the capacity to handle up to 21 railcars.
Acting Port NOLA President and CEO and Acting NOPB CEO, Ronald Wendel, said: “Infrastructure investments like this allow us to do just that while also moving products more efficiently through the global supply chain.”
The project costs $3 million and will be supported by a $1.5 million grant from the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development’s Shortline Railroad Priority Program, as well as a $1.5 million contribution from NOPB.
In 2020, the US Department of Transportation awarded NOPB $7.29 million as part of the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) Grant to assist support more railyard space and the adoption of automated switching technologies.
The last phase is the Claiborne Yard extension near St. Claude, which will include four new storage tracks, increased infrastructure for more efficient train operations, and transloading for new and existing customers. The renovation began in April and is anticipated to be completed later this month.
NOPB General Manager, Tomeka Watson Bryant, stated: “The NOPB Transloading Industrial Park and the Claiborne Yard expansion are examples of how we are growing our network and allowing new and current operators to enter or expand in the New Orleans market.”
In May, Port NOLA reported record container growth, moving 133,845 TEU in the third quarter of fiscal year 2024; representing a 19 per cent year-over-year (YoY) increase and the highest container volume since the supply chain issues of 2021.
One month later in June, Port NOLA and NOPB announced double-digit growth in intermodal rail shipments.
