The $134 million Gainesville Inland Port is operating, giving Northeast Georgia shippers a rail connection to the Port of Savannah. The Georgia Ports Authority expects 26,000 containers to move by rail through the terminal during its first year.
Operations began in May. Gov. Brian Kemp attended the Oct. 29 ribbon-cutting that formally marked the facility’s opening. The port adds capacity near metro Atlanta to move and store 200,000 containers by rail.
For customers shipping through the Port of Savannah, rail offers another option, including for heavier loads, the authority said. GPA described rail as the most cost-effective inland transit choice for trips longer than 250 miles in a May release.
GPA cited growth in the region’s economy as part of the rationale for the facility. Since 2020, 78 new firms have added 4,800 jobs in Gainesville-Hall County, according to the authority. Manufacturing, logistics and processing make up 33% of the area’s workforce.
The authority also invested $4.8 million in Hall County road projects near the port. The work included eliminating a rail crossing and adding road surfacing. Kemp said the new connection could broaden Georgia companies’ access to global customers and help ease highway congestion.
Yolonda Harris
News Now Georgia
