The Port of Long Beach will begin public hearings next week on a draft environmental study for the proposed redevelopment of an existing rail yard into a new facility. The redevelopment is set to increase the use of “on-dock” trains, moving cargo faster while in turn making operations more sustainable.
The port will host the first of two public hearings at 6 pm Wednesday, January 11 2017, at Silverado Park, to gather comments on the study that was released in December. The second hearing will be 6 pm, Wednesday January 18, at the Port Interim Administrative Offices, 4801 Airport Plaza Drive. An open house will be held prior to each hearing, beginning at 5:30 pm Educational displays and information regarding the Port’s overall rail strategy will be provided. Spanish translation and sign language interpretation will also be available.
The Pier B On-Dock Rail Support Facility, proposed for the northern area of the Port, would shift more cargo to “on-dock rail,” where containers are placed directly on trains at marine terminals, significantly reducing trips by trucks throughout the region. The plan is that no trucks at all have to would visit the rail facility. Instead, smaller train segments would be brought to the facility to be joined together into a full-size train.
The rail yard would be operated by Pacific Harbor Line, which provides short haul rail transportation switching services, railroad track maintenance and train dispatching services under contract to the Port. Pacific Harbor Line is the first railroad in the nation that has converted its entire fleet to clean diesel locomotives that reduce air pollution and save fuel.
The project fact sheet and Environmental Impact Report are available to view here.
