Georgia Ports Authority Announces May 2026 Opening for New Inland Port in Gainesville, Ga.

Opening in May, Georgia Ports’ new inland rail terminal in Gainesville, Ga., will give shippers a cost-effective routing option by rail while reducing truck traffic in Atlanta. (Georgia Ports)

SAVANNAH –– The Georgia Ports Authority has announced that the new inland port in Gainesville, Ga. will open on May 4, 2026. Gainesville is about 60 miles north of Atlanta, is a stop on the former Southern Railway and now Norfolk Southern, and is often referred to as the poultry capital of the world.

Gainesville, Ga. was founded in 1821 and in 1870, the Atlanta & Charlotte Air Line Railroad, a predecessor of Southern Railway and Norfolk Southern, established a stop there. While agriculture and poultry production is big business in Georgia, the poultry operations in Gainesville contribute over $1 billion to the local economy each year. The industrial operations around the city have grown significantly over the past several decades and the Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) says that the new intermodal facility will serve a market with over 330 manufacturers.

In a presser released this week, GPA says that the new inland port will increase northeast Georgia’s attractiveness to and competitiveness for business.

Norfolk Southern will be serving the new Gainesville inland port. (David C. Lester Photography)

“With a direct connection to Savannah’s 40 ships per week global ocean carrier network, local manufacturers — including poultry, heavy equipment, and forest product companies — can reach international markets more efficiently.

“Direct rail with five day a week service between Northeast Georgia and Savannah gives shippers an alternative to a 600-mile roundtrip truck route that will reduce trucks on Georgia’s highways and in the Atlanta region.”

GPA President and CEO Griff Lynch said “Our new inland rail facility in Gainesville, Georgia, will significantly offset truck traffic congestion in Atlanta and improve air quality by replacing an estimated 26,000 truck roundtrips in the first year alone.  We’re already seeing positive customer engagement and Norfolk Southern will bring an excellent level of service working together with GPA.”

Once the facility is fully built out, it will have an annual capacity of 200,000 containers.

Southern Railway manifest train in 1974. Southern was a predecessor to Norfolk Southern (David C. Lester photo)