RALEIGH – A new intermodal transportation facility will be built in Edgecombe County to help industry get products to customers and spur growth in the region, officials with the N.C. Department of Transportation announced today. NCDOT has reached an agreement with CSX Corporation regarding the building and operation of the Edgecombe County facility.
“This facility will make Eastern North Carolina even more attractive to businesses looking to grow by offering a logistical solution to industry shipping challenges,” said NCDOT Secretary Jim Trogdon. “We are pleased to help bring this intermodal facility to Eastern North Carolina.”
The facility, known as the Carolina Connector (CCX), will be built on the CSX mainline and CSX will run it. NCDOT will invest up to $118.1 million for site development and roadway construction. NCDOT conducted an economic impact evaluation in early June and determined the facility will have an indirect job impact of up to 1,300 jobs.
Once the contract is executed, site development work will begin with an anticipated completion date of 2020.
Originally, CSX intended to build what is called a “hub and spoke” intermodal facility in Edgecombe County. In November 2017, CSX put those plans on hold as the company reassessed its long-term business model. Since then, North Carolina officials have remained in contact with CSX to ensure the North Carolina site remained in consideration.
The newly envisioned site will be a traditional intermodal site. The 330-acre site will allow trucks to bring cargo containers to a rail yard where they will be transferred to trains for transport. This facility will serve many industries with efficient access to rail.
“Getting products to the customer is paramount to any business’s success,” said Carolinas Gateway Partnership CEO and President Norris Tolson. “We at the Carolina Gateway Partnership are pleased that the CCX intermodal site will provide another vital link in the logistics solutions offered for our customer base in the Twin Counties and all of Eastern North Carolina. Edgecombe and Nash counties will now truly be a gateway to markets throughout the eastern part of the U.S.”
The project was scored and evaluated per North Carolina’s data-driven process that allows NCDOT to invest available funds more efficiently and effectively to enhance the state's infrastructure, while supporting economic growth, job creation and a higher quality of life.