JAXPORT rail terminal begins receiving trains

Jacksonville Port Authority

The Jacksonville Port Authority's (JAXPORT) newly completed Intermodal Container Transfer Facility (ICTF) at Dames Point is being used in support of a high-level military training exercise this month in advance of its official opening to commercial container movements later this year.

Prior to the start of the ICTF’s commercial operations, JAXPORT is partnering with numerous U.S. Army units, including the JAXPORT-based 832nd Transportation Battalion, for exercises aimed at expediting the movement of ocean-going military cargo, rehearsing the capabilities of personnel, as well as the new terminal.

During the exercise, uniformed Army personnel are moving nearly 800 pieces of cargo, including vehicles, containers and equipment, from the facility onto a nearby military ship. The ICTF allows cargo to move directly between ships and trains, speeding up the shipment process, extending the port’s intermodal reach well beyond Jacksonville and increasing the region’s global trade competitiveness.

Construction of the $30-million ICTF, which began in May 2014, was funded through state and federal grants.

JAXPORT is one of 17 U.S. Strategic Seaports on-call to move military cargo for national defense, foreign humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. The facility is served by CSX rail lines.