The Bay Line Railroad, L.L.C., a subsidiary of Genesee & Wyoming Inc. (G&W), has entered into an agreement with the Panama City Port Authority to operate a Choice Terminal™ bulk transload facility at the port’s Intermodal Distribution Center (IDC).
The facility will be located approximately 15 miles from Port Panama City and is expected to begin operations in November 2016. It will feature a 20-car rail yard, a 5-acre staging area and equipment necessary to support bulk transfers. The IDC offers a FedEx Ground distribution center, 125 acres of shovel-ready rail-served industrial sites and 150,000 square feet of warehouse space.
Choice Terminals are operated by G&W railroads, providing customers with delivery, storage, inventory management and transloading of bulk products.
“This rail-and-truck logistics solution allows the Port Authority and local customers to keep inventory closer to their markets and take advantage of the superior economics offered by freight-rail service,” stated Bay Line President Bill Jasper. “The new terminal will receive bulk rail shipments, transfer the product to intermodal boxes and have the boxes trucked to the Port for international movement. The terminal can also transfer imported goods from the Port into bulk railcars for shipment to rail-served sites.”
Wayne Stubbs, Panama City Port Authority executive director, said, “The Bay Line Choice Terminal operation is important for the Port’s efforts to provide bulk shippers with new and better options for expanding business and trade – not only domestically but with Mexico, the Caribbean and South America.”
The 108-mile Bay Line Railroad interchanges with CSX and Norfolk Southern railroads.