Broward County Commission Approves Florida East Coast Railway Intermodal Facility Agreement

A planned intermodal container transfer facility (ICTF) at Florida's Port Everglades advanced today, when Broward County Board of County Commissioners approved a 30-year lease and operating agreement with the Florida East Coast Railway (FEC).

The facility will be used to transfer containers between ship and rail within the port instead of having trucks haul the containers to and from off-port rail terminals. The railroad also plans to relocate its existing domestic intermodal service from its Andrews Avenue rail yard in Fort Lauderdale to the new facility at Port Everglades. The parties anticipate that the new facility will begin operations in 2014.

"This is a great public-private partnership that has been 15 years in the making and is expected to take less than two years to complete," said Broward County Mayor John Rodstrom, Jr., in the county's announcement. "The ICTF is a double-bonus win for Broward County because it will help increase international trade while taking trucks off the roads."

The lease approved today was a prerequisite for the railway to secure a $30 million loan from the Florida State Infrastructure Bank. FDOT is expected to make a final decision later this year. The total project cost for the ICTF at Port Everglades is estimated to be $72 million, including a 42.5-acre Port land contribution by Broward County valued at $19 million. It is anticipated that the remaining costs will be covered by the railroad and by FDOT grants.

- RailResource.