“The Queen City Express will be the only direct freight rail service into the Greater Charlotte area from a port in the Southeast,” stated Governor McCrory. “The introduction of this new service will facilitate the efficient, cost-effective movement of goods between the global marketplace and one of the most significant economic centers in the southeastern United States.”
Paul J. Cozza NC Ports Authority executive director, said, “The return of intermodal rail to the Port of Wilmington expands our reach into an under-served market. The Queen City Express will provide premier rail service over competing ports for existing and future container customers.”
“Enhancing North Carolina’s rail service will decrease transportation costs for businesses and provide numerous statewide economic and environmental benefits,” said North Carolina Transportation Secretary Nick Tennyson.
In the future, CSX will also provide direct access from the Port of Wilmington to the Carolina Connector, a new intermodal terminal in Edgecombe County that is expected to open in 2020.
“CSX is proud to partner with the State of North Carolina to bring the Carolina Connector to Eastern North Carolina which will provide cheaper, faster and more environmentally-friendly connections for North Carolina’s businesses and ports to domestic and international markets,” said CSX Chairman and CEO Michael J. Ward. “This critical infrastructure project will create jobs and spur economic development in the region, positioning Eastern North Carolina as a transportation and logistics hub in the south.”
The Carolina Connector and the Queen City Express will lower transportation costs and take trucks off the road. One intermodal train can eliminate as many as 280 trucks from the highway.