NEW RAIL CARGO FACILITY OPENS IN WEST VIRGINIA

December 28, 2015

By JOHN RABY

Associated Press - PRICHARD, W.Va. (AP) - Halfway between a Virginia seaside port and one of the busiest U.S. rail yards in Chicago, a new railroad facility has opened in Appalachia as officials look to drum up business in West Virginia and potentially diversify an economy that has relied on coal for decades.

The Heartland Intermodal Gateway terminal in Prichard recently opened on 76 acres donated by Norfolk Southern.

Owned by the West Virginia Port Authority, the terminal is designed to move containers more efficiently by rail through a double-stack method while offering a cheaper alternative to gas-guzzling trucks.

Neal Vance, executive director of the port authority, says officials hope the terminal can mirror the growth generated by other facilities in places like Front Royal, Virginia, and Greer, South Carolina.

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