ATLANTA — Georgia’s freight rail line from the Port of Savannah to Murray County had a record haul last month, as seven CSX trains per week carried nearly 4,000 containers, up 35% from November 2024.
The Appalachian Regional Port opened in 2018 near Chatsworth, about an hour and a half north of Atlanta.
The Georgia Ports Authority reported Thursday that the rail traffic to and from the inland port reduces congestion and emissions in metro Atlanta by cutting back on truck mileage.
The agency also pointed to a University of Georgia study that said the port supported an increase of about 5,600 jobs in the northwest part of the state between fiscal years 2023 and 2024, for a 14% increase.
Economists at the Selig Center for Economic Growth at UGA said in a new report about the state of the economy that the Appalachian Regional Port helps the Port of Savannah tap new markets while fueling the local economies of Dalton and Rome.
Rail freight carriage is expected to grow next year as the Port Authority prepares to open its new Blue Ridge Connector in the spring.
The $127 million rail facility 50 miles from Atlanta will be served by Norfolk Southern “doublestack” trains that the Authority said would will further reduce Atlanta traffic while connecting northeast Georgia to the Port of Savannah.