Alabama Port Authority advances $100M Montgomery rail terminal for 2027 opening
The Alabama Port Authority continues building its $100 million, 272‑acre Montgomery Intermodal Container Transfer Facility, aiming for an early 2027 opening. When completed, the terminal is projected to move up to 60,000 TEUs per year, offering shippers a rail alternative to truck drayage between Mobile and central Alabama.
The facility will feature more than 25,000 feet of rail track, including two 3,500‑foot process tracks and a 3,500‑foot support track, with lead track paralleling the existing CSX main line. Two rubber‑tired gantry cranes supplied by Konecranes are scheduled for delivery in late 2026 to handle container transfers between trains, trucks and the storage yard. Operations are planned for five days a week with daily express rail service connecting the terminal to the Port of Mobile. Located on authority‑owned land near Interstates 65 and 85, the site targets the region’s auto, manufacturing and distribution base.
“The Montgomery ICTF is a critical investment in Alabama’s supply chain infrastructure,” Doug Otto, Alabama Port Authority Director and Chief Executive said.
The project broke ground in February 2025, and earlier estimates had placed its development cost at $94 million before the authority’s 2026 update raised it to $100 million. Similar container‑transfer hubs already operate in South Carolina, Virginia and on the West Coast. The Federal Railroad Administration finished the environmental review in October 2024, clearing a major pre‑construction hurdle.
What we know
The $100 million, 272-acre terminal is being developed as an inland extension of the Port of Mobile’s container gateway.
Construction of the Alabama Port Authority’s Montgomery Intermodal Container Transfer Facility remains on schedule for an early 2027 opening, with site grading and underground utility work completed and rail-infrastructure construction now underway.
At full operation, the terminal is expected to handle up to 60,000 container units annually, or approximately 30,000 40-foot-equivalent containers.
The Federal Railroad Administration completed the project’s environmental review in October 2024, clearing a key pre-construction step.
The cranes will handle container transfers between trains, trucks and the storage yard and are scheduled for delivery in late 2026.