Virginia Port handles Record Volume

The Port of Virginia rewrote its record books once again, having handled 235,511 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) in August, making it the single busiest month in the port’s history.

In comparison with last August, TEU volumes are up 7 percent; rail units up 20 percent and truck volume up .4 percent; and volume at Richmond Marine Terminal (RMT) is up 33 percent. Moreover, October marks the seventh consecutive month of TEU volumes exceeding 210,000 units.

The peak-season cargo is moving and those volumes are putting the port on pace to exceed last year’s total of 2.5 million TEUs, said John F. Reinhart, CEO and executive director of the Virginia Port Authority.

“Our productivity across the operation continues to trend in positive territory and for the first time in our history, our monthly rail volume exceeded 50,000 units,” he said. “Further, our import volume in August was up 12 percent and exports up 3 percent.”

“We are building our reputation on consistent delivery of service; we are on solid financial ground and we are gathering momentum as we move into a period of expansion and construction.”

Year-to-date, the port’s TEU volume is up 2 percent; rail units up 11 percent; Virginia Inland Port volume up 10 percent; and Richmond Marine Terminal volume, up 27 percent.

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The focus, Reinhart said, “will be to maintain the momentum and continue to improve in all phases of our operations” as the port undertakes several large construction projects designed to increase capacity and improve efficiency.

“The North Gate project at Norfolk International Terminals (NIT) will create 26 new gates for trucks and be complete by mid-2017,” he said. “Prior to the North Gate project completion, we will break ground on a $350 million project at NIT that will add the capacity to handle 400,000 more containers annually – and do it more safely, swiftly and sustainably than ever before.Additionally, our re-negotiation of the lease at Virginia International Gateway is productive and we believe, nearing its final phase. We are executing our growth plan to be a sustainable operation, a reliable port partner and build The Port of Virginia as a preferred gateway for trade and economic development on the US East Coast.”