Port of Los Angeles railyard upgrades to speed movement of goods, cut congestion and emissions

The U.S. is home to more than 300 ports, and each is a vital piece of our national economy. It’s important that they operate both efficiently and competitively; that’s why I’m excited to see the Port of Los Angeles’ West Basin Railyard beginning construction. 

When this project is completed, the port will be able to move products from ships onto rail cars within the port, reducing the region’s need for trucks. That means fewer trucks on local streets, which reduces traffic congestion and greenhouse gas emissions for the community.

Perhaps most importantly, the railway construction will contribute more than 1000 jobs to our steadily growing economy.

The West Basin Railyard will improve the connection between the Port and the Alameda Corridor, a rail line that carries about 15 percent of all waterborne containers entering or leaving the United States.

The West Basin Railyard project will construct an intermodal railyard, which includes staging and storage tracks to connect on-dock railyards with the Alameda Corridor. It will also include a railyard for the short-line railroad serving Union Pacific, Burlington Northern Santa Fe, the Port of Los Angeles, and the Port of Long Beach.

The project will also remove two at-grade rail-highway crossings, relieving congestion.

Thanks, in part, to $16 million in TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) grant funding, the construction of this railyard will create jobs and provide lasting infrastructure improvement to help speed the movement of goods into and out of the busy Port of Los Angeles.

In addition to creating cargo transportation alternatives, this investment will improve safety in the Los Angeles community.  Through the reduction of truck traffic on I-710, drivers on the interstate will see fewer accidents.

Whether we're building new facilities or upgrading established centers like the Port of Los Angeles, projects like the West Basin Railyard demonstrate that infrastructure investment provides good jobs now while also boosting America's long-term economic viability.

Through our TIGER program, DOT and the Maritime Administration have awarded more than $350 million in grants to port-related projects, and we applaud our ports and port cities for their continued commitment to maintaining and improving their transportation systems. Their efforts will cut traffic congestion and air emissions while putting eager men and women back to work.

At DOT, we keep the American economy moving, and the West Basin Railyard at the Port of Los Angeles is just the latest proof that we are not slowing down.