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Records: Baltimore, New York/New Jersey

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Two East Coast ports recently announced cargo handling records: The Port of Baltimore handled a record 9.55 million tons in the just-ended fiscal year, and at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, ExpressRail – the rail line serving the port’s marine terminals – handled its five millionth container since it opened in 1991.

Baltimore Sets More Cargo Records 

The Port of Baltimore’s public marine terminals handled a record 9.55 million tons of general cargo during the fiscal year ending June 30, 2013, according to data reported by the Maryland Port Administration (MPA). The previous record, 9.33 million tons, was set just a year ago.

Baltimore’s public piers also set consecutive records for exported cars in one month – 22,997 in June, which beat the previous records, 22,897 in May and 22,832 in November 2012.

Export Chrysler jeeps being loaded onto a ship at the Port of Baltimore.
Photo/Maryland Port Administration

According to the MPA, more than 108,000 Maryland jobs are linked to Baltimore port activity, along with $3 billion in personal wages and salaries and more than $300 million in state and local taxes. 

The June 2013 data show general cargo at the port’s public terminals up 4.6 percent from June 2012. General cargo includes autos, farm and construction machinery, containers and forest products (rolled paper and wood pulp). In 2012, the port handled 652,000 cars at its public and private piers. This year, it added Fiat to its auto shipping clientele.

Baltimore’s busy Seagirt Marine Terminal.
Photo/Maryland Port Administration

New York/New Jersey: Port Authority’s Ship-To-Rail Facilities Handle 5 Millionth Shipping Container

ExpressRail, the port authority’s rail system serving New York and New Jersey marine terminals, achieved a major milestone in May by handling its 5 millionth shipping container since the rail facility opened in 1991.

The port authority estimates that those 5,033,047 containers effectively removed more than 8.0 million truck trips from the region’s highways and improved regional air quality by eliminating 4,400 tons of nitrous oxide, 88 tons of particulate matter and 480,000 tons of greenhouse gas.



The first ExpressRail terminal opened in 1991 and was operated by Maher Terminals. Since then, the port authority has invested $600 million to expand the original terminal to an 18-track facility that straddles the APM and Maher Terminals at the Elizabeth-Port Authority Marine Terminals. In addition, the port authority built a second lead rail track that allows trains to move into and out of the ExpressRail Elizabeth facility at the same time. ExpressRail facilities also serve the Port Newark Container Terminal and the New York Container Terminal on Staten Island.

In addition, the port authority completed construction in 2009 on a rail support facility along Corbin Street that can handle four 10,000-foot trains daily. A bridge also was opened in May to link the Port Newark Container Terminal with its rail facility on the western side of Corbin Street, which improves the flow of truck traffic carrying containers to the trains. 

"We’re proud of the phenomenal growth of our port rail business that provide shippers with a modern, cost effective and environmentally friendly way to move their goods to market," said Port Authority Executive Director Pat Foye. "This is just one of the many amenities our port provides to attract international shippers to our port."
 

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