Processing more cars at Philaport
Pennsylvania’s governor Tom Wolf has opened the new Southport Auto Terminal in the port of Philadelphia (USA). The new hub represents an investment of some USD 100 million from the commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s funding. It is a major part of the USD 300 million port development plan which also includes the new container gantry cranes for the Packer Avenue Marine Terminal delivered earlier this year.
The 628 sqm site contains the vehicle processing centre (VPC) spanning 33 sqm. The VPC can process more than 1,000 vehicles per day, is equipped with heated floors to ease operations during the winter season and a state-of-the-art body shop with double prep stations and two joined double paint booths. At the 98 annex, some additional 600 cars can be processed per day.
The Southport Auto Terminal is located adjacent to the two rail carriers CSX and NS and is also served by CN with Canadian destinations. The total space for 350,000 cars is presently used by 200,000 cars per year. The main customers are Hyundai and KIA.
The terminal can accommodate 24,000 cars at any given time and currently handles some 110 vessels p.a. The Southport Auto Terminal is owned by the Philadelphia regional port authority (PRPA), leased by DVR and operated by Glovis America. (nauticus)