The $16 million project, of which $12 million will be covered by federal grants, calls for creating a rail-car holding yard inside the port’s property, demolishing several tracks in the area and closing the current car holding area behind city hall. The port has been developing the project the past seven years.
The new yard is designed to store about 400 cars, more than triple the current yard’s 120-car capacity. Another yard south of the port near an ExxonMobil refinery will provide storage capacity for another 100 cars.
After the project’s completed in about two years, trains will enter the port from a Kansas City Southern Railway Co. (KCSR) line. The moves will take about 10 minutes to complete vs. one or two hours, according to the port, which is served by KCSR, BNSF Railway Co. and Union Pacific Railroad.
