USA: A rail shuttle to an inland container terminal within 240 km of the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach could carry 3·1 million TEU/year, according to reports Anacostia Rail Holdings commissioned from Oliver Wyman and Leachman & Associates.
A further opportunity exists for up to 1·5 million TEU if cross-docks for transloading and onward movement of domestic containers by rail and road were to relocate to the inland port.
A rail shuttle could be cost competitive on a per container basis for all of the scenarios analysed, as long as the inland port is either integrated with or located near logistics and warehousing facilities.
Key challenges would include the capital investment required for new terminals, the availability of rail capacity and community impact mitigation requirements.
‘This concept has the potential to offer benefits to the ports and the surrounding community in terms of sustainability, unlocking capacity, and reducing congestion’, said Anacostia President Peter Gilbertson. ‘Although implementing such a service also has challenges, we felt it was important to consider the parameters under which a transportation alternative like this might be viable.’
