Grant Approved for Norfolk Terminal Rail Expansion
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The Commonwealth Transportation Board recently approved a $450,000 grant for Norfolk Terminal LP that will be used to improve goods movement at the facility.
Appointed by Virginia’s governor, the Commonwealth Transportation Board is a 17-member group that allocates highway funding, designates routes and funds airports, seaports and public transportation. The board approved the grant at its meeting held in late July.
Norfolk International Terminals, located at the Port of Virginia, processes thousands of truck moves every day.
Mitchell
Issued through the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation’s Rail Industrial Access program, the funding will support the construction of new rail facilities. The program promotes truck diversion by providing grants to help connect new or expanding businesses to the freight railroad network.
“The Rail Industrial Access program is an important tool to support Virginia’s efforts to attract jobs that have access to the commonwealth’s multimodal transportation assets,” Department of Rail and Public Transportation Director Jennifer Mitchell said. “We are proud to partner with Norfolk Terminal on this expansion to increase the company’s rail capacity to the Virginia Port while hiring local talent.”
The terminal operators plan to construct 10,815 feet of track, which is meant to remove approximately 10,200 trucks from Virginia’s highways annually.
This grant will complement the terminal’s $61 million capital investment project to more efficiently receive, store, package and ship products through the Port of Virginia.
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The port is located in Hampton Roads, which encompasses the coastal cities of Virginia Beach, Norfolk and Newport News. Its leading exports include mineral fuels, wood, food industry waste and plastics.
Activity at the Port of Virginia contributes to the area’s congestion. Another large generator of traffic is Naval Station Norfolk, which is the largest naval complex in the world and supports the U.S. Atlantic Fleet’s operations.
One challenge of Hampton Roads is its geography, which is characterized by many bodies of water, such as the York and James rivers, which flow into the Chesapeake Bay. The area is served by one interstate — Interstate 64 — and its derivatives.
Track construction is expected to create 31 jobs. The company is partnering with the city of Norfolk on workforce development, concentrating on hiring people who are transitioning from military work and local college graduates, particularly those with degrees related to maritime activity and logistics.
The actions of the board support a multimodal transportation network that moves critical cargo.
Transportation Secretary Shannon Valentine
Also at the meeting, the Commonwealth Transportation Board approved a policy for the implementation of the Transit Ridership Incentive Program (TRIP), which sets forth goals of improving the regional connectivity of urban areas and increasing transit ridership and accessibility, especially for low-income populations.
The Department of Rail and Public Transportation will be allowed to solicit applications for fiscal 2022 funding. TRIP was created during the 2020 legislative session.
“The actions of the board support a multimodal transportation network that moves critical cargo and connects people to jobs, services and health care,” Secretary of Transportation Shannon Valentine said. “From the railroad tracks connecting companies to our port to the buses in our communities, transportation is driving Virginia’s economy.”
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