HENDERSON, Ky (WEHT) – The U.S. Maritime Administration announced that Ports of Indiana-Mount Vernon has been awarded a federal grant of $11,249,000 to construct a $16 million rail yard and transload facility.
“This is the largest federal grant in Ports of Indiana history and it will have far-reaching impacts throughout the Southwest Indiana economy,” said Ports of Indiana CEO Jody Peacock. “We are extremely grateful to MARAD and our Indiana officials for supporting this effort. Once completed, this project could double our port’s rail capacity and create a major transload hub that connects throughout the U.S. on four Class I railroads.”
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Officials state the rail yard and transload facility will be located on 30 acres along State Road 62 within the Mount Vernon Port. It will include 13,000 feet of track dedicated to railcar switching and 7,000 feet of track that will facilitate cargo transfers between truck and rail.
Officials say the port handles 7 million tons of cargo and 40,000 railcars, while its operations support 8,200 jobs and generate $1.6 billion in economic impact every year.