According to the Northwest Seaport Alliance, Tacoma has become one of the most fluid of all U.S. ports on the west coast thanks, in part, to Tacoma Rail. The city-owned railroad offers excellent rail connections into Midwest destinations with much faster cargo delivery than other gateways. Starting in May 2021, the Mediterranean Shipping Company’s (MSC) Santana service will change its rotation and add a new stop to the Northwest Seaport Alliance’s Tacoma Harbor. The increased container business will help smooth the flow of traffic in and out of Tacoma, which has been somewhat erratic during the COVID-19 crisis. The entire Tacoma Rail team of 114 employees was instrumental in providing the exemplary train service that allows The Northwest Seaport Alliance (NWSA) to attract international shipping business to the Port of Tacoma.
Congestion and schedule delays across the supply chain impacted port activities across the market and the Tacoma Harbor handled many extra vessels over the past few months to provide relief. Tacoma Rail employees will be much busier than they were at this time last year. However, their close cooperation with the Port and Class 1 railroad partners, Union Pacific and BNSF, will ensure a smooth blending of the new business into daily operations.
“The credit for securing this new business goes to the entire Tacoma Rail team and our stakeholder partners at Husky Terminals, the ILWU Longshoremen and the NWSA for never wavering in our service commitments to our customers,” said Dale King, Tacoma Rail superintendent.
Tacoma Rail provides rail service to the Port of Tacoma, a major gateway to Asia and Alaska and one of the largest container ports in North America. They are a cost-of-service operation and are adept at keeping costs low for customers and handling various commodities. As a public agency, Tacoma Rail can operate at cost or very close to it, making the Port more competitive.
Port of Tacoma Commission President Dick Marzano stated, “We are thankful to our labor partners and the BNSF who have helped keep our gateway’s operations smooth, productive and efficient. We look forward to moving more MSC cargo through this new service calling our gateway.”
NWSA’s strong partnerships and efficient operations with Tacoma Rail, the Port, and members of the supply chain, will serve the international cargo movement for years to come.