New rail connection will expedite shipping container delivery from Wilmington to the Midwest
11/23/2021
By WECT Staff
Published: Nov. 18, 2021 at 4:39 PM EST
WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) – Governor Roy Cooper announced Thursday the launch of the Wilmington Midwest Express, a daily direct rail connection to the Midwest from Rocky Mount, North Carolina.
The new service will expedite shipping containers from North Carolina’s Ports, including Wilmington, via the Carolina Connector Intermodal Rail Terminal at Rocky Mount, while reducing customer transit costs and emissions.
“The Wilmington Midwest Express will positively impact our customers by providing a more direct connection between shippers and consumers,” said Brian E. Clark, Executive Director. “This new service provides a competitive advantage in a time when supply chain issues are impacting ports across the United States.”
The Express connection will provide a five-day connection to Chicago and Northwest Ohio, and a seven-day connection to St. Louis, which will be the fastest ship-to-rail freight service on the east coast.
Representatives of NCDOT, CSX Corporation, the Carolinas Gateway Partnership and Governor Cooper attended a ribbon cutting ceremony for the intermodal terminal.
“The Carolina Connector will help us address the supply chain problems by getting goods from one place to the next,” said Cooper. “It’s going to help us create 1,500 jobs. The Department of Transportation did a great job in working with CSX to make this happen. This is going to be great for North Carolina’s economic future, not only for eastern North Carolina but the entire state.”
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