Through collaboration with rail partners and support from state officials, South Carolina Ports (SC Ports) aims to enhance rail capacity across South Carolina to effectively manage the increasing demand for goods in the state's economy.
The development of the upcoming Navy Base Intermodal Facility in North Charleston is progressing smoothly. Set to debut in July 2025, this cargo facility connected to rail will feature six rail-mounted gantry cranes designed to streamline the movement of containers between CSX and Norfolk Southern trains.
"Growing rail capacity in the Port of Charleston will further enhance South Carolina’s competitiveness, ensuring our customers can swiftly move goods to market," stated Barbara Melvin, president and CEO of SC Ports.
In Upstate South Carolina, the growth of Inland Port Greer has resulted in over 743 square meters of extra rail track, and the expansion of the container yard is approaching its final stages. These upgrades to the terminal will effectively double Inland Port Greer's cargo handling capacity.
"We move nearly a quarter of our containers by rail today. We look forward to growing this percentage by building critical rail infrastructure and terminal capacity in South Carolina. These projects will further support the billions of dollars being invested in South Carolina by port-dependent businesses," added Melvin.
While total US container volume experienced a decline in 2023, SC Ports saw a notable increase of nearly 12% in intermodal volume, indicating a compelling rail product for both ocean carriers and cargo owners.
Through SC Ports' RapidRail program, containers are efficiently transported between ships and trains, with imports transitioning to rail within less than 24 hours of vessel discharge.
In January, SC Ports' Inland Port Greer and Inland Port Dillon achieved their highest recorded performance, collectively moving 17,656 containers. These inland ports offer direct rail service to and from the Port of Charleston.
At the Port of Charleston's container terminals, SC Ports managed 208,538 TEUs and 115,744 pier containers in January. Although slightly lower than the previous year, this reflects the softened volumes observed across the United States.
The vehicle segment experienced robust activity in January, with 17,614 vehicles handled at the docks, marking a 32% increase compared to the previous year.
