Governor Brian Kemp Allocates $145 Million to Construct Inland Rail Freight Hubs for Port of Savannah

SAVANNAH, Ga. — Governor Brian Kemp and the Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) announced on Monday the allocation of $145 million in state capital improvement funds to construct two advanced multi-modal inland rail ports: the Northeast Georgia Inland Port in Hall County and the Southwest Georgia Logistics Terminal in Colquitt County.

The dedicated rail terminals connect directly via Norfolk Southern and CSX rail lines to the Garden City Terminal at the Port of Savannah—the fastest-growing container gateway in the United States—enabling imported cargo and agricultural exports to bypass metro Atlanta highway congestion.

Taking 160,000 Diesel Trucks Off Georgia Highways By transferring international container movements from long-haul semi-trucks to direct rail intermodal freight, the inland ports will eliminate an estimated 160,000 truck trips and over 15 million highway vehicle-miles traveled annually along Interstate 85, Interstate 75, and Interstate 16.

"Georgia has been named the top state for doing business for eleven consecutive years because we build the best infrastructure in the country," Governor Brian Kemp said at the GPA headquarters in Savannah. "The Port of Savannah is an economic powerhouse driving billions in private investment and hundreds of thousands of jobs. By investing $145 million into our inland rail network, we are bringing the port directly to manufacturers and farmers in rural Georgia, reducing freight costs, and protecting our highway commuters."

Terminal Capabilities and Regional Trade Links Key technical features of the new inland ports include:

• Northeast Georgia Terminal (Gainesville): $80 million to construct 9,000 feet of working rail track capable of processing 150,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) annually for regional poultry and manufacturing exporters.
• Southwest Georgia Terminal (Moultrie): $50 million for cold-storage intermodal container yards serving citrus, pecan, and cotton growers.
• Decarbonized Electric Gantry Cranes: $15 million to install zero-emission electric rail-mounted gantry (RMG) container handling cranes.

Georgia manufacturing executives, regional freight carriers, and agricultural commodity associations celebrated the expansion, highlighting that direct rail access cuts international logistics costs by up to 25 percent.