Tag: Heartland Intermodal Gateway

New Rail Cargo Facility Opens in West Virginia

Halfway between a Virginia seaside port and one of the busiest U.S. rail yards in Chicago, a new railroad facility has opened in Appalachia as officials look to drum up business in West Virginia and potentially diversify an economy that has relied on coal for decades.

The Heartland Intermodal Gateway terminal in Prichard recently opened on 76 acres donated by Norfolk Southern.

Owned by the West Virginia Port Authority, the terminal is designed to move containers more efficiently by rail through a double-stack method while offering a cheaper alternative to gas-guzzling trucks.

Neal Vance, executive director of the port authority, says officials hope the terminal can mirror the growth generated by other facilities in places like Front Royal,Virginia, and Greer, South Carolina.

Parsec Inc to Run Heartland Intermodal Gateway

State officials announced this week that the mid-Atlantic transportation hub in Prichard, a 30-million dollar facility comprised of rail, air, highway, and waterway assets, will be operated by a Cincinnati-based intermodal company.

The West Virginia Port Authority along with Governor Earl Ray Tomblin and Transportation Secretary Paul Mattox announced this week that Parsec Inc was awarded the contract to operate the Heartland Intermodal Gateway in Prichard, West Virginia.

The facility sits on approximately 100 acres and is an Inland Rail/Truck terminal. Cargo shipped into ports in Virginia will pass through the facility on its way to Chicago, Illinois.

The Heartland Intermodal Gateway will also provide access to west coast ports and will serve as a cargo-transfer station along the Norfolk Southern rail line. There will also be available warehouse space, a freight container service and access to international rail lines. Parsec will take over the facility in late summer, 2015 to prepare for the opening of the terminal in December 2015. 

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