Construction Advances on the US$100 Million Montgomery Inland Rail Container Hub
en.Wedoany.com Reported - The Alabama Port Authority is advancing construction of the Montgomery Intermodal Container Transfer Facility (Montgomery ICTF), with a total investment of approximately US$100 million, covering 272 acres, and scheduled to begin operations in early 2027. The project will directly connect Montgomery to the Port of Mobile via CSX rail, providing a rail container transport corridor for manufacturers, exporters, and logistics companies in central Alabama. Site grading and underground utility construction have been completed, and construction is currently underway on rail sidings and a bridge spanning the CSX main line.
The Phase I operational area covers approximately 120 acres. Once operational, it is planned to operate 5 days per week, with an annual container handling capacity of approximately 60,000 TEU. The rail system is planned to include more than 25,000 feet of track, including two 3,500-foot working tracks, one 3,500-foot auxiliary track, and approximately 10,000 feet of lead track parallel to the existing CSX main line; the site will also include a container yard, truck operating area, administration building, and maintenance facilities.
The Alabama Port Authority has procured two Konecranes rubber-tyred gantry cranes (RTGs) for the project, with delivery planned for the fourth quarter of 2026. Each RTG can span two working tracks, one truck lane, and a yard area four containers wide, and will be used for container transfer between rail, trucks, and the yard. The equipment will also be equipped with active load control and smart operating functions.
Subsequent construction includes rail connections, concrete paving, drainage systems, lighting, signage, bridges, and terminal building construction. The Alabama Port Authority has also procured container reach stackers, 6,000-pound forklifts, and yard tractors, with the forklifts and tractors required to be delivered no later than the end of February 2027, and the reach stackers scheduled for delivery between February and March 2027.
The Montgomery ICTF officially broke ground in February 2025, with major funding from US federal grants. Once completed, import and export containers from the Port of Mobile can be shipped directly to Montgomery via CSX rail and then distributed by truck to central Alabama, while also providing a reverse consolidation channel for local export cargo. The project site is located near the I-65 and I-85 interstate highways.
