Following suit with BNSF, US railroad Union Pacific announced on Tuesday, 30 May, its intention to expand its services to connect Houston Port with five key inland markets, including US West Coast.

According to a press release, the new service at Barbours Cut Container Terminal at Port Houston will provide direct rail access to Denver, Salt Lake City, Oakland, Los Angeles, and El Paso, five of the United States’ fastest-growing intermodal markets.

The new service, launched on 1 June, is expected to transport goods quicker and more efficiently as it allows “intermodal containers to be loaded directly onto railcars and transported by rail,” says the railroad.

“The new on-dock terminal service provides additional routing options to key metropolitan markets, while helping customers enhance their efficiency,” said Kari Kirchhoefer, senior vice president – Premium, Marketing and Sales.

In addition, the service will reduce truck traffic and, consequently, greenhouse gas emissions. Union Pacific estimates that a single freight train “can take several hundred trucks off the nation’s highways.”

The Port of Houston is one of the key ports in the US as it handles over 70% of US Gulf Coast container traffic. However, the latest volume figures from the Journal of Commerce (JOC) state that the port is experiencing a slowdown. April import volumes dropped nearly 6% compared to last year, while exports saw a 17% year-on-year growth during the first four months of 2023.