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8/9/2012 10:30:00 AM    

Portland port completes rail yard expansion

The Port of Portland, Ore., recently completed a major rail yard expansion project in the city’s largest industrial park. Now fully operational, the South Rivergate yard expansion was the last in a series of four recent rail and road improvement projects located in the Rivergate Industrial District.

The $11 million yard project was funded jointly by the port, state of Oregon, BNSF Railway Co. and Union Pacific Railroad. The project, which began in 2010, involved the construction of five additional tracks to increase capacity and enhancements to rail connections so the facility can handle multiple unit trains of 100 cars or more per day.

The yard expansion will help reduce air emissions and road intersection blockages, boost freight velocity and ease rail congestion in the area, port officials said in a prepared statement.

“Projects like this … bring greater rail network efficiencies in the transportation of goods to the port’s customers,” said Sebastian Degens, the port’s general manager of marine marketing.

The port also improved nearby Ramsey yard to increase capacity and boost rail traffic efficiency.