JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Nov. 6, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- U.S. Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx visited CSX's state of the art Northwest Ohio Intermodal Terminal in Wood County on Wednesday. The event was the Vice President's most recent stop on a tour focused on the importance of infrastructure investment following visits to the Ports of Baltimore, Savannah, and Charleston. CSX's $175 million intermodal rail facility opened in 2011, providing nearly 300 full-time, local jobs and spurring growth and economic opportunity by improving access to cost-effective, environmentally friendly intermodal freight rail transportation.
"Being able to efficiently move cargo and goods is essential to this country's economy," remarked Vice President Biden. "CSX and the Northwest Ohio Intermodal Terminal have led the revitalization of this region by providing strong, middle-class jobs, supporting local businesses and improving our nation's infrastructure to keep America competitive globally."
Vice President Biden and Secretary Foxx had a full day while visiting the intermodal facility, taking part in a driving tour and training simulator demonstration as well as meeting employees and local residents. During spoken remarks, the Vice President, Secretary of Transportation and CSX executives discussed the importance of infrastructure investment in improving America's competitiveness, strengthening the middle class, and growing the American economy.
"Infrastructure projects like this cutting-edge facility are the backbone of a growing American middle class and a thriving American economy," said Anthony Foxx, secretary, U.S. Department of Transportation. "This facility provides tremendous benefits locally, regionally and for the entire nation."
"In an area where service from East Coast ports once took up to a week, it now only takes two to three days for goods to be shipped through the facility and delivered to the customer's door," said Oscar Munoz, executive vice president and chief operating officer, CSX Transportation. "We are very proud of our role in keeping America competitive by investing in infrastructure here in Ohio, at mid-Atlantic ports, and throughout our network. CSX appreciates the Vice President's long-standing support for our work here today and in the future."
Situated on more than 500 acres in Wood County, Ohio, just one mile west of North Baltimore, the Northwest Ohio Intermodal Terminal is a world-class, environmentally friendly freight distribution hub for the Midwest and the nation. Handling 30 trains per day and moving hundreds of thousands of containers per year, the terminal helps link East Coast seaports with vital points in the Midwest, such as the markets of Cincinnati, Columbus and Louisville. The terminal has created new routing possibilities and growth opportunities for inland locations and allows for faster, more reliable transit from the West Coast, allowing shippers to bypass delays in congested areas like Chicago. It is the nerve center of CSX Transportation's intermodal network and the cornerstone of the company's double-stack freight initiative, the National Gateway.
The National Gateway is CSX's award-winning $850 million public private partnership to create a highly efficient and environmentally-friendly, double-stack cleared rail corridor between the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest. As one of the nation's largest transportation projects, over a 30 year period, the National Gateway will create more than 50,000 jobs and deliver a host of benefits including reduced fuel consumption, lower emissions, better safety, lower highway maintenance costs and reduced shipping costs.
About CSX
CSX, based in Jacksonville, Florida, is a premier transportation company. It provides rail, intermodal and rail-to-truck transload services and solutions to customers across a broad array of markets, including energy, industrial, construction, agricultural, and consumer products. For more than 185 years, CSX has played a critical role in the nation's economic expansion and industrial development. Its network connects every major metropolitan area in the eastern United States, where nearly two-thirds of the nation's population resides. It also links more than 240 short-line railroads and more than 70 ocean, river and lake ports with major population centers and small farming towns alike. More information about CSX Corporation and its subsidiaries is available at www.csx.com. Like us on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/OfficialCSX) and follow us on Twitter (http://twitter.com/CSX).
SOURCE CSX Corporation
