“We continue to set new records and last month was the best September we’ve ever had,” said Rodney W. Oliver, interim executive director of the Virginia Port Authority. “In terms of rail volume, September was our fourth best month in history. The port has experienced double-digit rail growth, year-over-year, in 10 of the last 11 months.”
The percentage of cargo moved by rail reached an all-time high of 35.8 percent in September, Oliver said. This marks the fourth month in 2013 in which rail cargo, as percent of total cargo, has exceeded 35 percent.
Import TEUs tallied 87,398 and exports were 97,787 in September, increases of 4.5 percent on imports and a .9 percent drop in exports. For the calendar year, imports are up 7.5 percent and exports are 5.2 percent.
Also in September the Virginia Inland Port (VIP) post its second-best month, in terms of volume, in the last three years. September volume for VIP cargo was at 3,374 containers: volume is up 10.6 percent compared with the same month last year.