The Port of Los Angeles has completed a rail extension project on Pier 400 to enhance cargo movement, cut pollution, and increase traffic safety.
By boosting usage of the Pier 400 on-dock rail yard, the project aims to provide increased rail capacity to all Port of Los Angeles terminal operators.
According to the port, the rail yard is reportedly a crucial link between the San Pedro Bay port complex and the Alameda Corridor, which transports about 10 per cent of all maritime containers entering and departing the US.
As rail demand grows, the enlarged rail yard is expected to reduce around 1,200 truck trips per day by 2040.
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Port of Los Angeles Executive Director, Gene Seroka, said: “This $73 million rail project will increase cargo efficiency while reducing emissions – a cornerstone of the Port’s blueprint for sustainable growth. Advancing capital improvement initiatives like this are key to ensuring the port remains competitive.”
Construction on the modernised, extended intermodal rail storage yard near the APM Terminals (APMT) container terminal began in 2021.
The project included 31,000 linear feet of track, which included five new railroad storage tracks, a concrete rail bridge with lights, an asphalt access lane, new crossovers and turnouts, and compressed air system enhancements.
Work also involved relocating a piece of the lead track into Port of Los Angeles land, realigning the track connection to the rail storage yard, modifying Reeves Avenue, and moving the at-grade crossing from Nimitz Avenue to Reeves Avenue.
Herzog/Stacy and Witbeck Joint Venture were the contractors that finished the construction.
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“Thanks to the port’s significant investment in rail infrastructure, APM Terminals will be able to handle increased volumes of intermodal cargo with greater efficiency across a wider variety of inland locations,” said Jon Poelma, Managing Director of APMT Los Angeles Pier 400.
“This strategic upgrade enhances the Port of LA’s attractiveness as a gateway for cargo owners who rely on fast, efficient, and well-connected supply chains to serve their customers.”
Just recently, the Port of Los Angeles deployed the first commercially available battery-powered electric cargo top handlers in the US.
