Ground has been broken on the Pier B rail On-Dock Rail Support Facility, a $1.5bn project at the Port of Long Beach in California, US.  

Dubbed America’s Green Gateway, the project is set to reconfigure, expand, and improve the current rail yard, allowing for a direct connection to on-dock rail facilities and the Alameda Corridor railway. 

The ground-breaking ceremony saw the presence of members from the Newsom Administration, US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, US representative Robert Garcia, and other dignitaries.  

The project is structured to be completed in phases, with each phase aimed at improving cargo flow. The entire project is set for completion by 2032. 

With approximately $250m in state funding, the project is poised to more than double the size of the existing 82-acre rail yard to 171 acres. 

It is also expected to increase the port's annual on-dock rail cargo capacity from 1.5 million 20ft equivalent units (TEUs) to 4.7 million TEUs. 

The new facility will also include a depot capable of fuelling and servicing up to 30 locomotives simultaneously and a staging area for assembling and disassembling trains up to 10,000ft in length. 

It is further expected to expedite cargo movement and reduce pollution in local communities. 

Buttigieg said: “Today, work starts on a rail network that triples cargo volume, keeps costs down, and reduces pollution - and it’s all because of the historic funding made possible by the Biden-Harris Administration. 

“Through projects like America’s Green Gateway and the hundreds of other supply chain improvements we’re making across the country, we’re making our supply chains more robust and resilient in the face of any potential future disruptions.”