The Carolina Connector, an intermodal transportation facility in Edgecombe County, opened three months ago. Already, it helped ease national supply chain shortages.
The facility, which opened in Rocky Mount in November, allows trucks to bring cargo containers to the rail terminal, where they are transferred to trains for transport, providing regional businesses with efficient access to the rail network that connects the Port of Wilmington and eastern United States ports to their final destinations. According to a news release, it’s helped relieve supply chain issues for the Port of Savannah and helped grow North Carolina’s economy by helping NC Ports start the Wilmington Midwest Express. The express connects Port of Wilmington customers with daily direct freight rail service to the Midwest.
The Carolina Connector was the result of a partnership between North Carolina and CSX Corporation, who contributed $40 million to the project and operates the facility that was built on the company’s main rail line. NC Department of Transportation invested $118 million for construction of the terminal.
