The panamax era has begun in Miami, and Florida East Coast Railway (FECR) stands ready to handle intermodal containers from the Pacific Rim arriving on the gargantuan ships via the enlarged Panama Canal.
On July 9, 2016, FECR celebrated with its partners the arrival of MOL Majesty, the first “neo-panamax” vessel to cross the expanded Panama Canal bound for PortMiami. The MOL Majesty is part of the G6 Alliance Transpacific PA2 service, originating in Asia.
FECR re-established on-dock intermodal rail service at PortMiami, allowing import and export cargo to be loaded directly onto or off awaiting trains, linking the port to 70% of the U.S population in four days or less. FECR can also facilitate the transloading of international freight into fewer domestic containers for inland moves to markets such as Memphis, Chicago, Cincinnati and Dallas.
Shipments from the Pacific Rim rerouted through the now-expanded Panama Canal to eastern seaboard ports like PortMiami are expected to increase by 10%. FECR expects to grow its share of container traffic transported following the expansion and shift in trade routes.
“FECR has invested in infrastructure and equipment to support multi-modal shipping and global trade into and out of South Florida, and can support neo-panamax vessels such as the MOL Majesty,” said FECR President and CEO James R. Hertwig. “We offer customers a seamless transfer of goods from ship to our on-dock rail facility that allows fast access to 70% of the U.S. population, reaching key Southeast markets of Atlanta and Charlotte in two days. We were glad to be at the celebration in support of our partner, PortMiami.”
“A new big-ship era is here, and PortMiami and its partners are ready,” said PortMiami Director and CEO Juan M. Kuryla. “The completion of PortMiami's deep dredge and FECR’s on-dock intermodal rail projects cannot be overstated. PortMiami is now positioned as the most reliable, convenient and efficient global hub on the North American East Coast, serving the world’s leading ocean carriers.”
Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez and Panama Canal Authority Administrator Jorge Quijano were among the guests who joined FECT, PortMiami and other partners to welcome the MOL Majesty.