New Orleans Public Belt Railroad News

The Port of New Orleans was awarded $947,280 in recently announced Port Security Grant funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to support the expansion and enhancement of emergency services for Port NOLA’s maritime and industrial operations.With this funding award, Port NOLA will invest in physical and technological upgrades to the Port’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) which serves as home base during hurricanes and other significant incidents. Additionally…

Rhe Board of Commissioners of the Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA) on Thursday elected Jack C. Jensen, Jr. to serve as Board Chairman, succeeding Charles H. Ponstein, whose term as Chairman ended this month. Also elected were Joseph F. Toomy, who will serve as Vice Chairman, and Walter J. Leger, Jr., who will serve as Secretary-Treasurer for the nine-month term.“Jack Jensen has brought decades of transportation and logistics experience to this board, and we look forward to his…

Several south Louisiana ports are requesting federal assistance to bolster recovery efforts in the wake of Hurricane Ida.On August 29, Ida made landfall in southeast Louisiana as a category 4 storm, heavily impacting local infrastructure, waterways and communities.The Lower Mississippi River opened three days later, and by September 2, the Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA) resumed limited operations and became fully operational September 7. Although operations resumed, there remains ongoing assessment of needs, and supply chain disruptions also continue.

Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA) and CLEANCOR Energy Solutions LLC (CLEANCOR), a subsidiary of SEACOR Holdings Inc. (SEACOR), signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on August 17, 2021, to collaborate on ways to provide liquefied natural gas (LNG) fueling solutions to ship owners and operators within Port NOLA’s jurisdiction that would benefit from reduced environmental emissions. CLEANCOR, an alternative energy company, will work with Port NOLA to help provide LNG to Port customers and marine operators in Port NOLA’s jurisdiction.

The Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA) discharged 300 steel coils on June 10, 2021, to barge at Coastal Cargo breakbulk and heavy-lift terminal at the Louisiana Ave. Complex that were transported to the barge from the SK Shipping Star Challenger and made their way upriver to be off-loaded at the Port of Caddo-Bossier in Shreveport.“This is a great example of two Louisiana ports coming together to facilitate commerce in the State and moving cargo on the Mississippi River,” said Brandy D. Christian President and CEO of the Port of New Orleans and CEO of the New Orleans Public Belt Railroad.

The Propeller Club of the U.S. Port of New Orleans honored Brandy D. Christian as their 2019 Maritime Person of the Year at its 86th Annual Maritime Person of the Year Gala on Wednesday, Jan. 29, at the Metairie Country Club.Read Maritime Logistics Professional's interview with Brandy Christian here.Christian, who serves as President and CEO of the Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA) and CEO of the New Orleans Public Belt Railroad Corporation (NOPB), is the first woman ever to be honored with this prestigious recognition from the Propeller Club of the U.S.

Louisiana’s only international container port Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA) moved more containers in 2019 than at any time in its history, totaling 648,538 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), up 10% compared to one year ago.The multimodal gateway for global trade said in a press release that the record marks the sixth consecutive year the Port surpassed the half million TEU-mark at its Napoleon Avenue Container Terminal, which is operated by New Orleans Terminal and Ports America.“Port NOLA has now seen double-digit growth in total container volumes for two consecutive years, primarily driven by the Panama Canal expansion, exports from Louisiana’s booming petrochemical industry and a growing market for imports,” said Brandy D.

The former chairman of the Port of New Orleans Board of Commissioners Joe Toomy is rejoining the group.Gov. John Bel Edwards reappointed Joseph F. Toomy to the Board of Commissioners of the Port of New Orleans.Toomy was sworn in during today’s monthly board meeting and will serve a five-year term succeeding Laney J. Chouest as one of two Jefferson Parish representatives on the seven-member regional board. He previously served on the Board of Commissioners from 2009 to 2014 and served as chairman in 2013.With the Port’s acquisition of the New Orleans Public Belt Railroad effective Feb. 1, 2018, Port Commissioners also serve as directors of the New Orleans Public Belt (NOPB) board…

The New Orleans Public Belt Railroad Corporation (NOPB), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA), has named M.D. (Mike) Stolzman as its new General Manager, effective immediately.Stolzman, a veteran railroad executive with extensive short line and Class I rail experience, will report to Brandy D. Christian, President and CEO of Port NOLA and CEO of NOPB, which is a Class III railroad on the nation’s fourth largest rail gateway that connects with six Class I railroads and serves Port NOLA and local industry.“There was tremendous interest in NOPB’s General Manager position and we were fortunate to attract a wide range of highly qualified candidates,” said Christian.

The Port of New Orleans and project partner, the New Orleans Public Belt Railroad (NOPB), were awarded a National Clean Diesel Funding grant from the United States Environmental Protection Agency.The EPA grant will provide 40% of total project cost, allowing NOPB to retrofit the engine of a conventional diesel locomotive to a cleaner engine with low emissions beyond current requirements. This will be the first locomotive of its kind in the New Orleans gateway.This eco-locomotive will meet ultra-low emitting standards (Tier 4) and result in immediate air quality benefits such as reducing ozone precursors, diesel particulate matter, as well as fuel consumption and corresponding greenhouse gas emissions. It will boast a sleek new paint scheme with green accents.

The Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA) moved more containers in 2018 than at any time in its history, totaling 591,253 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), up 12.3 percent compared to one year ago.The deep-draft multipurpose port at the center of the world's busiest port system -- Louisiana's Lower Mississippi River said in a press release that the record marks the fifth year in a row Port NOLA has surpassed the half million TEU-mark at its Napoleon Avenue Container Terminal, which is operated by New Orleans Terminal and Ports America.“The expansion of the Panama Canal and growth in containerized exports, namely resin and frozen poultry, have buoyed Port NOLA’s containerized cargo to record levels.

A Container-on-Barge service intended to be an integral part of the regional intermodal equation is gathering momentum – and customers. Quietly, the Port of New Orleans (NOLA) has marked some important accomplishments in the past two years, across multiple business sectors. For example, in April 2016, NOLA’s Board dedicated a $25 million Mississippi River intermodal terminal, capable of handling 160,000 twenty-foot-equivalent (TEU) units per year by rail. CN Railroad signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) a year earlier (2015)…

The Board of Commissioners of the Port of New Orleans joined a host of elected officials and industry partners today to dedicate the Port’s new $25 million Mississippi River Intermodal Terminal. The terminal, made possible by a $16.7 million federal transportation TIGER grant, has a capacity of moving 160,000 twenty-foot-equivalent units (TEUs) per year by rail. “This new terminal provides a highly efficient option for our customers moving cargo via rail,” said Gary LaGrange, Port President and CEO. The Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant provided about 68 percent of the total funding for the terminal.

The Port of New Orleans and CN signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that will see the parties develop greater supply chain efficiencies aimed at drawing more container traffic through the Port to North American markets. “We and our Port of New Orleans gateway partners have a mutual interest in ensuring the competitive and efficient movement of container goods through the gateway and growing its market share,” said JJ Ruest, CN’s executive vice president and chief marketing officer.

Governor Bobby Jindal and CEO Jack Jensen of Jensen Companies announced the development of a new 500,000-square-foot logistics facility by TCI Plastics – a Jensen Companies division – at the Port of New Orleans. TCI will make a $36.5 million capital investment to build the facility at its France Road Wharf hub, and the project will create 160 new direct jobs with an average salary of more than $33,400, plus benefits. LED estimates the project will result in an additional 183 new indirect jobs, for a total of more than 340 new jobs.

Today, Gov. Bobby Jindal and IT Minerals LLC CEO Jose Domene announced a $4.5 million capital investment by the company in Louisiana, where IT Minerals will establish an importing, processing and exporting facility at the Port of New Orleans for minerals sourced from Mexico and other countries. The project will create 12 new direct jobs with an average annual salary of $34,000 a year, plus benefits. LED estimates the project will result in an additional 28 new indirect jobs, for a total of 40 new jobs in the Southeast Region. IT Minerals is a manufacturer of lightweight aggregates and fillers for polymer-based products; construction products; and insulation, filtration, textile, cryogenic, horticulture and gardening products. Gov.

The was joined by two of its rail partners in dedicating the Napoleon Intermodal Rail Yard, a new facility permitting efficient ship to rail transfer of cargo containers at the Napoleon Avenue Container Terminal. The rail yard provides a new link for NAFTA commerce. Its dedication was announced as U.S. President George Bush, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Mexican President Felipe Calderon meet in for the annual North American Leadership Summit. CN, with a rail network spanning the U.S. Midwest and , is the first Class 1 railroad to serve the new rail yard via its switching agent, the New Orleans Public Belt Railroad. CN is currently hauling about 350 to 400 containers per week using the facility…

Trans-Atlantic ocean vessel operator Forest Lines has elected James M. Baldwin, Jr. as executive vice president and named Ronald M. Ackerman assistant vice president, sales and marketing. Baldwin is a former chairman of the Board of Commissioners of the Port of New Orleans and President of the New Orleans Board of Trade. He currently serves on the board of the New Orleans Public Belt Railroad Commission. Ackerman joined Forest Lines in 1996 as assistant pricing manager and has served as marketing manager since 1997.