Pier 400 rail expansion done
What happened
APM Terminals completed a $73 million expansion at Pier 400 that adds 31,000 linear feet of track and has helped double rail moves—rail activity at the terminal is up about 104% since 2023. The upgrade materially increases intermodal capacity at the Port of Los Angeles, strengthening options for rail‑connected warehousing (trains.com).
Why it matters
Construction work on the on‑dock rail yard at Pier 400 began in 2021, and the Port of Los Angeles reported the project’s construction phase was completed in July 2024; the build was carried out by a Herzog / Stacy & Witbeck joint venture. (portoflosangeles.org) (railwayage.com) The construction package added five storage tracks to the on‑dock yard (increasing the count from six to 11), built a concrete rail bridge with lighting, paved a dedicated asphalt access roadway, installed new crossovers and track switches, realigned the lead track onto Port property, and relocated an at‑grade crossing off Nimitz Avenue to Reeves Avenue. (railwayage.com) (portoflosangeles.org) On‑dock rail — tracks positioned at the terminal so containers can transfer directly between ship and train without extra truck moves — was configured to handle up to four full import trains per day for the two Class I carriers that serve the market, BNSF and Union Pacific, and reported weekly container lifts at the terminal increased from about 5,000 per week to roughly 11,000 during the operational ramp‑up. (trains.com) (apmterminals.com) The expanded yard ties into the Alameda Corridor rail expressway, which moves roughly 10% of U.S. waterborne container traffic, and Port analyses project the yard’s increased rail handling could eliminate about 1,200 truck trips per day on local roads by 2040. (portoflosangeles.org) (porttechnology.org) Work on the yard included upgrades to the site’s compressed‑air systems; compressed air is used on freight equipment to operate brakes and other pneumatic controls, so those modifications were required to support higher train volumes and to interface reliably with carrier rolling stock. (railwayage.com) APM Terminals says the finished configuration expands direct rail reach to 14 U.S. freight hubs — citing inland gateways such as Chicago, Dallas and Memphis — which increases options for shippers using rail‑connected distribution footprints and for third‑party logistics providers routing import containers inland. (apmterminals.com)
Key numbers
- APM Terminals completed a $73 million expansion at Pier 400 that adds 31,000 linear feet of track and has helped double rail moves—rail activity at the terminal is up about 104% since 2023.
- Construction work on the on‑dock rail yard at Pier 400 began in 2021, and the Port of Los Angeles reported the project’s construction phase was completed in July 2024; the build was carried out by a Herzog / Stacy & Witbeck joint venture.
- (trains.com) (apmterminals.com) The expanded yard ties into the Alameda Corridor rail expressway, which moves roughly 10% of U.S.
- waterborne container traffic, and Port analyses project the yard’s increased rail handling could eliminate about 1,200 truck trips per day on local roads by 2040.
What happens next
- waterborne container traffic, and Port analyses project the yard’s increased rail handling could eliminate about 1,200 truck trips per day on local roads by 2040.
- (railwayage.com) APM Terminals says the finished configuration expands direct rail reach to 14 U.S.
Quick answers
What happened in Pier 400 rail expansion done?
APM Terminals completed a $73 million expansion at Pier 400 that adds 31,000 linear feet of track and has helped double rail moves—rail activity at the terminal is up about 104% since 2023. The upgrade materially increases intermodal capacity at the Port of Los Angeles, strengthening options for rail‑connected warehousing (trains.com).
Why does Pier 400 rail expansion done matter?
Construction work on the on‑dock rail yard at Pier 400 began in 2021, and the Port of Los Angeles reported the project’s construction phase was completed in July 2024; the build was carried out by a Herzog / Stacy & Witbeck joint venture. (portoflosangeles.org) (railwayage.com) The construction package added five storage tracks to the on‑dock yard (increasing the count from six to 11), built a concrete rail bridge with lighting, paved a dedicated asphalt access roadway, installed new crossovers and track switches, realigned the lead track onto Port property, and relocated an at‑grade crossing off Nimitz Avenue to Reeves Avenue. (railwayage.com) (portoflosangeles.org) On‑dock rail — tracks positioned at the terminal so containers can transfer directly between ship and train without extra truck moves — was configured to handle up to four full import trains per day for the two Class I carriers that serve the market, BNSF and Union Pacific, and reported weekly container lifts at the terminal increased from about 5,000 per week to roughly 11,000 during the operational ramp‑up. (trains.com) (apmterminals.com) The expanded yard ties into the Alameda Corridor rail expressway, which moves roughly 10% of U.S. waterborne container traffic, and Port analyses project the yard’s increased rail handling could eliminate about 1,200 truck trips per day on local roads by 2040. (portoflosangeles.org) (porttechnology.org) Work on the yard included upgrades to the site’s compressed‑air systems; compressed air is used on freight equipment to operate brakes and other pneumatic controls, so those modifications were required to support higher train volumes and to interface reliably with carrier rolling stock. (railwayage.com) APM Terminals says the finished configuration expands direct rail reach to 14 U.S. freight hubs — citing inland gateways such as Chicago, Dallas and Memphis — which increases options for shippers using rail‑connected distribution footprints and for third‑party logistics providers routing import containers inland. (apmterminals.com)
