The Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) has approved expenditure of $127 million to build an inland rail terminal in Gainesville, Georgia, that will link Northeast Georgia with the Port of Savannah’s 35 global container ship services, port leaders said today.
The “Blue Ridge Connector” project will open in 2026 and serve a region important for the production of heavy equipment, food, and forest products, the GPA said. The expansion of rail capacity comes as some 18 to 20% of GPA’s container cargo moves by rail, with the majority handled by truck.
Funding for the Blue Ridge Connector is a mix of GPA internal capital and a grant from the Federal Maritime Administration of up to $46.8 million. Norfolk Southern Railroad will connect the facility to GPA’s Mason Mega Rail terminal in Savannah. Counting this latest project, GPA has now invested more than $374 million in rail capacity, including the Port of Savannah’s on-dock Mason Mega Rail Terminal and the Appalachian Regional Port in Northwest Georgia.
“Through improved connectivity, developments like the Blue Ridge Connector maximize the impact of Georgia’s extensive logistics network,” Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said in a release. “Inland terminals have a proven track record of powering economic development for rural Georgians by extending port services to the doorstep of manufacturing and supply chain operations.”
In addition to providing supply chain support, port leaders said the investment will also improve sustainability by helping cargo owners to reduce their carbon footprints. “This important investment will help our customers streamline their supply chains while reducing congestion on Georgia highways,” GPA President and CEO Griff Lynch said in a release. “As we have seen at the Appalachian Regional Port in Murray County, improved rail service to the region will increase transportation efficiency and act as a magnet for jobs and economic development. Every container moved by rail will avoid a 600-mile roundtrip by truck between Savannah and the Gainesville, area.”
