A $52 million infrastructure improvement project at the Port of Los Angeles will move forward following the Harbor Commission’s approval of funding to expand on-dock rail capacity and reduce overall port emissions.
The project will target a terminal located at Pier 300 and operated by Fenix Marine Services by adding five loading/unloading tracks at a nearby rail yard, allowing for more cargo to be loaded directly onto trains. Port officials say rail is the “most energy and fuel-efficient” means of long-haul freight movement in the United States.
There will also be grading and paving improvements, striping and signage, the addition of more fire protective measures, electrical enhancements and the implementation of storm drain design elements.
“This project enhances cargo capacity and efficiency while improving the sustainability of port operations,” Harbor Commission President Lucille Roybal-Allard said in a statement. “It’s yet another step forward toward both our productivity and clean air goals.”
About $18 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration and $19 million from California’s Trade Corridor Enhancement Program will help fund the project, port officials noted. The remaining balance will come from the port’s budget.
“Fewer transfers of cargo results in cleaner operations and more fluidity on our container terminals,” Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka said in a statement. “This project will make us more competitive and add to our ability to pursue more discretionary cargo headed for the interior of the United States.”
In January 2022, CMA CGM reacquired 100% of the Fenix Marine Services container terminal, which the port estimates it to be one of the “largest” terminals in the U.S.
“This investment ensures that there is adequate on-dock intermodal capacity to accommodate future volume growth, enabling Port of Los Angeles and Fenix Marine Services to further compete for discretionary cargo in an environmentally and community responsible way,” George Goldman, president & CEO of CMA CGM (America), said in a statement.