East and Gulf Coast ports are upgrading rail infrastructure to boost capacity, despite fluctuating cargo volumes and leadership changes.
Ports along the US East and Gulf coasts are advancing infrastructure upgrades despite experiencing weak cargo volumes, according to reports from New York's Journal of Commerce.
Laden container imports through these ports increased by 2.5 percent in the first 11 months of 2025, with East Coast shipments rising by three percent and Gulf Coast imports by 0.3 percent, as reported by PIERS. Port Houston experienced fluctuations, with a decline of 11.5 percent in February followed by a surge of 33.1 percent in April. Meanwhile, the New York and New Jersey ports handled between 354,697 TEU in June and 420,495 TEU in August.
Despite this volatility, vessel handling remained efficient, with ships spending an average of 27.6 hours on East Coast calls and 33.1 hours on Gulf Coast calls. Leadership changes included Micah Mallace taking over as president and CEO of South Carolina Ports after Barbara Melvin stepped down amid delays at Charleston's near-dock rail terminal.
Expansion projects are underway, including Charleston's Navy Base Intermodal Facility, set to open in October 2026, which will connect marine terminals with inland ports in Greer and Dillon. Additionally, CSX's Howard Street Tunnel project will facilitate double-stack rail service from Baltimore to Chicago and other Midwest markets.
In Houston, the ship channel is being widened, and a new wharf is being added at Bayport to accommodate five ships and eventually vessels of up to 17,000 TEU. Mobile is dredging to 50 feet and expanding its yard to exceed a capacity of one million TEU, while Virginia is set to complete dredging to 55 feet and commission new cranes at Norfolk International Terminal.
Looking ahead, New York and New Jersey plan to conduct a US Army Corps of Engineers study on dredging to 55 feet to accommodate 18,000 TEU ships. Savannah is also set to complete upgrades to its Ocean Terminal in 2027, enabling it to handle two post-Panamax vessels simultaneously.
