The first ever double stack train moved from the Port Authority’s Howland Hook Marine Terminal on June 28, launching Staten Island’s new intermodal cargo transfer facility. The 39-acre facility serves New York Container Terminal as well as Global Marine Terminal, which is located in Jersey City, NJ. The inaugural containers, destined for Cleveland, Columbus, Detroit and Chicago were unloaded from the Hapag Lloyd vessel, Adrian, and moved via CSX.

ExpressRail Staten Island currently consists of five tracks that are linked to the reactivated Staten Island Railroad, connecting to the Conrail Main Line in Elizabeth, N.J. The ondock terminal has the capacity to handle 100,000 containers annually, supported by the adjacent Arlington Yard with approximately 25,000 feet of additional track. Both CSX and NS provide intermodal service to ExpressRail Staten Island.

The NYC Economic Development Corporation worked closely with the Port Authority in bringing rail service to Staten Island, including rehabilitating the long-inactive Arthur Kill Railroad Bridge that connects the borough with New Jersey and the national rail system.

Port Director Rick Larrabee said, “A critical part of our strategy for handling the continuing cargo increases at our port is to introduce rail service at all of our major terminals, and doing so in a way that is both economically productive and environmentally responsible. The Staten Island rail facility is part of the Port Authority’s $600 million port-wide investment in on-dock rail, which includes ExpressRail Elizabeth, serving Maher and APM Terminals, and ExpressRail Newark, which provides rail service for Port Newark Container Terminal,” he explained.