b'10American Journal ofTransportation ajot.comDouble-stacked containers, including Hapag-Lloyd boxes, move on a Norfolk Southern train in a new intermodal offering linking The Port of Virginia with the U.S. West Coast.West Coast shippers going nuts over Virginia intermodal linkBy Paul Scott Abbott, AJOTWhen The Port of Virginia, Hapag- but,yes,wearemovingfruits/nuts Lloyd and Norfolk Southern teamedeastboundforexport,Spielmaker thisyeartolaunchaleading-edgetoldAJOT.General-numbers-wise, intermodal service to reliably deliverour weekly volume coming eastbound imported containers to the U.S. Westisexpectedtobeup100percent Coast, they might not have imaginedversuswhenwestartedtheservice. their new twist on landbridging wouldWe continue to see strong volumes on beservingCaliforniaexportersinathe import side as well.nutty way. Californiafarmsproduceabout Notonlyhastheinnovative82 percent of the worlds almonds and service been gaining import volumes100 percent of the U.S. commercial since commenced in April, but it alsosupply,whilemorethan98percent hasbeenfurnishingamuch-neededofallpistachiosproducedinthe outlet to global markets for California- United States are grown in California, grownalmondsandpistachios,according to the U.S. Department of averting West Coast port bottlenecksAgriculture.and Panama Canal transits. Recently,Californianutproducers Weareseeingsignificantinteresthave been challenged to find dependable outoftheag[agricultural]sector,capacityforexportingtheirgoods, said Thomas D. Capozzi, chief salescomplainingnotonlyoflogjamsatLloydcontainershipsfromEuropeHapag-Lloyds decision to replace its andmarketingofficerofVirginiathe Port of Oakland and other WestatThePortofVirginiasNorfolkMediterraneanPacificServicewith International Terminals LLC, the VirginiaCoast outlets but also of a COVID- InternationalTerminals,orNIT,anew,eight-vesselMediterranean PortAuthoritysprivateterminal- era-acceleratedtrendforoceanandaredouble-stackedonNorfolkGulfExpressoffering,introducing operatingsubsidiary.Predictabilityiscarriers to rush empty containers backSoutherntrainsfortransporttothe Norfolk call to its rotation from what is drawing that interest. to Asia to get the next lucrative loadsChicago, where they are switched totheportsofLivornoandGenoain NorfolkSouthernsmediarelationsof U.S.-bound consumer goods ratherUnion Pacific rail for delivery to LosItaly and Barcelona and Valencia in manager, Connor Spielmaker, confirmedthan wait in Northern California to beAngeles and Oakland. The eastboundSpain.the rising activity in both directions offilled with almonds for export to keyprocess is similar but in reverse. The$90millionprojecttoboost the OceaNS Bridge Express, or OBE,markets in Europe and Asia. CapozzicitedThePortofNITsannualrailthroughputcapability service. Under the new intermodal service,Virginias efficiencies and expandingto610,000unitsfromthecurrent As I expected, no specific numbers,containersarriveweeklyonHapag- intermodalrailcapacityaskeysto350,000unitsisonpaceforlate 2023 completion, to raise The Port of Virginias overall yearly lift capacity to 1.1 million rail units.PHILADELPHIA, PATherailimprovementsare (856-423-0700) partofamultiyear,$1.4billion CHARLESTON, SC infrastructure enhancement initiative (843-790-7878) at The Port of Virginia, which in July MIAMI, FLreported having moved a record 3.7 (305-493-3041) million 20-foot-equivalent container NEW YORK / NEW JERSEY units in its fiscal year ended June 30, (908-258-0690) up14.7percentfromitspriorall-time high, realized in the preceding NORFOLK, VAfiscal year.(757-673-8696) Wearebuildingthereputation ATLANTA, GAas an East Coast alternative to ports DRAYAGE & TRUCKING SERVICES (706-333-8747) that are having to address congestion JACKSONVILLE, FL issues,StephenA.Edwards,TheLocal, Regional & Over the RoadHazardous Materials (904-475-2858) PortofVirginiaschiefexecutiveFull Containers Heavy Overweight Containers TAMPA, FL officer and executive director, said in (813-241-0035) announcing the record figures. Reefer ContainersTransload Services United States Customs andBorder Protection Bonded Carrier SAVANNAH, GA Owned Fleet of 40 & 20 Chassis & Specialized Tri-Axels for Overweight Containers(470-259-0083) (MERGERcontinued from page 6)As a small business, he added, it is important for us to have access tothesebenefits.Smallbusinesses NORTHSTAR TRANSPORT SERVICESrely upon access to rail service, and AL IANNELLI | ext. 202 PHILADELPHIA, PA 19148 856-423-0700 JOE LOCASTRO | ext. 206 themarketstheycanopenupfora 856-423-0700 WWW.NSTRANSPORT.COM 856-423-0700 company are critical to their growth.'