South Carolina opens second inland port

DILLON, SC: April 16, 2018. The South Carolina Ports Authority (SCPA) has opened its second inland port facility to handle growing intermodal rail cargo volumes through the Carolinas to U.S. Northeast and Midwest markets.

Inland Port Dillon uses an existing CSX intermodal train service to handle container movement to and from the Port of Charleston. The new facility is expected to convert an estimated 45,000 container movements from truck to rail in the first year of operation.

SCPA opens inland port Dillon “Inland ports provide needed infrastructure in the interior of the state to support the movement of freight to and from our marine terminals,” said Jim Newsome, SCPA president and CEO. “The addition of Inland Port Dillon to the Port’s network diversifies our reach and enables port users to gain logistics efficiencies through rail transportation of their cargo. We’ve had tremendous support from the Dillon region to date and look forward to growing our cargo base for the facility.”

SCPA opened its first inland facility at Greer, next to the BMW manufacturing plant and over 200 miles from Charleston, in 2013 and by 2017 it had handled a record-breaking 124,817 rail moves, up 20 percent over the previous year.

“Our ports system is one of the most important driving forces behind South Carolina’s recent economic success, and with the help of the Inland Port Dillon, it always will be,” commented governor Henry McMaster. “With two inland ports and the Port of Charleston soon to be the deepest on the East Coast, South Carolina has strategic advantages that no other state has.”

Since 2011 intermodal rail has increased 180 percent and now accounts for nearly 25 percent of Charleston’s container volume.

“CSX is pleased to be a key link in extending the South Carolina Port Authority’s reach from the Port of Charleston,” added Dean Piacente, CSX vice president of Intermodal. “We are confident that the Inland Port will promote economic development in the region and increase the competitiveness of the Port of Charleston and businesses throughout the State of South Carolina.”