Category: Maritime and Transportation
By Philip Newswanger
philip.newswanger@insidebiz.com
In less than three years, expect a passenger train to roll into a station in Norfolk from Richmond.
The time frame is realistic, according to Virginia Director of Rail and Public Transportation Thelma Drake.
Drake, a Norfolk native, was picked by Gov. Bob McDonnell in January to head the agency.
She said last week that she believes this can be done, given the money.
The state would have to cement agreements with Norfolk Southern, on whose tracks the train will travel.
By Philip Newswanger
philip.newswanger@insidebiz.com
Norfolk will play host to a summit this week touting Virginia's agricultural exports.
The two-day event, entitled "Agricultural Trade: From Farm, to Port, to the Global Marketplace," will be held at the Sheraton Norfolk Waterside Hotel, Wednesday, March 3, and Thursday, March 4. Registration is $55 per person.
By Philip Newswanger
philip.newswanger@insidebiz.com
Coal exports are surging again.
The uptick began in the last quarter of 2009, and experts expect the trend will continue through 2010.
But they have stopped short of calling the upswing in coal exports a global recovery.
Coal exports ebb and flow due to a number of factors.
One is the increased demand for high-quality metallurgical coal used in making steel.
By Philip Newswanger
philip.newswanger@insidebiz.com
The port's major terminal manager is counting on the widening of the Panama Canal for giant container ships for future port growth.
That's the idea. Here's the reality.
Giant container ships are now prevented from transiting the canal because the width of these floating cities is greater than the locks through which these ships must pass.
By Philip Newswanger
philip.newswanger@insidebiz.com
No one is talking.
But it appears the city of Chesapeake is retaliating against the Virginia Maritime Association for its opposition to the dimensions of the new Jordan Bridge.
At its January meeting, the Chesapeake Port Authority passed a motion not to renew its membership in the maritime association this year, which costs $500 a year for two individual members.
The vote was unanimous in favor of dropping the membership.
By Philip Newswanger
philip.newswanger@insidebiz.com
America's transportation system got a financial jolt from the U.S. Department of Transportation last week, most of it for rail projects.
The federal agency announced $1.5 billion in grants, known as Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery, or TIGER, grants.
According to the American Association of Port Authorities, about a third of the grants went to improve freight systems, including port access.
By Philip Newswanger
philip.newswanger@insidebiz.com
The train has left the station. Yet Hampton Roads is the caboose still parked in the yard.
The problems getting passenger rail service to South Hampton Roads and improved rail service to the Peninsula have been documented.
How to fix them is complicated.
Regional policy-makers and business leaders were caught off guard earlier this month when President Obama announced that the $8 billion he pushed for high-speed rail projects in the U.S. had been allocated.
By Philip Newswanger
philip.newswanger@insidebiz.com
Imports are expected to climb 25 percent in the first half of this year, underscoring that a recovery is under way.
But the forecast could sour if the economy turns south and enters another recession, which some economists fear may happen.
The forecast is part of a monthly report from the National Retail Federation and the consulting firm of Hackett Associates.
By Philip Newswanger
philip.newswanger@insidebiz.com
Port business is still struggling, despite sporadic signs of rejuvenation.
The Virginia Port Authority reported its latest business update last Tuesday for the calendar year and the fiscal year.
The results were dismal.
The port's marine terminals, including the privately owned and operated APM Terminals in Portsmouth, handled 1,745,227 international shipping boxes for CY 2009, down from 2,083,277 units in 2008, a 16.2 percent drop.
By Philip Newswanger
philip.newswanger@insidebiz.com
Just over a year ago, Norfolk Tug Co. launched what was billed as the green alternative to trucks ferrying containers between Hampton Roads marine facilities and the Port of Richmond.
The barge service, named the 64 Express, was supposed to take trucks off the highway, thus alleviating traffic congestion and reducing pollution because the barge uses fewer gallons of diesel fuel than either trucks or railroads.
A year later, the barge still operates.
