SAVANNAH, Ga. | Georgia Ports Authority’s (GPA) new inland port in Gainesville will open May 4, 2026, a development that GPA says will strengthen Northeast Georgia’s attractiveness and business competitiveness. With a direct rail connection to Savannah’s 40 ships per week global ocean carrier network, local manufacturers — including poultry, heavy equipment, and forest product companies — can reach international markets more efficiently.
Direct rail with five day a week service between Northeast Georgia and Savannah gives shippers an alternative to a 600-mile roundtrip truck route. That will reduce trucks on Georgia’s highways and in the Atlanta region.
Georgia Ports President and CEO Griff Lynch says: “Our new inland rail facility in Gainesville will significantly offset truck traffic congestion in Atlanta and improve air quality by replacing an estimated 26,000 truck roundtrips in the first year alone. We’re already seeing positive customer engagement. Norfolk Southern will bring an excellent level of service working together with GPA.”…