Alabama Port Authority Builds $100M Montgomery Rail Terminal, Targets 2027 Opening
The Alabama Port Authority's $100 million Montgomery Intermodal Container Transfer Facility remains on schedule to open in early 2027, with rail-infrastructure construction now underway after site grading and utility work were completed. The 272-acre terminal will serve as an inland extension of the Port of Mobile, connected by direct CSX (NASDAQ: CSX) rail service. At full operation, it is expected to handle up to 60,000 container units annually — roughly 30,000 40-foot-equivalent containers — operating five days a week with daily express rail between Mobile and Montgomery. Plans call for more than 25,000 feet of track, including two 3,500-foot process tracks, a 3,500-foot support track and about 10,000 feet of lead track alongside the CSX main line. Konecranes will supply two rubber-tired gantry cranes for delivery in late 2026. The project is funded largely through federal appropriations. Officials cite it as a catalyst for Montgomery's Interstate Industrial Corridor, though long-term cargo volumes will depend on shipper commitments and intermodal lane competitiveness.