The Los Angeles Harbor Commission on Sept. 5 approved a lease amendment that allows for a $52 million project to expand rail facilities at the Fenix Marine Services terminal at the Port of Los Angeles.
One of seven terminals at the port, the Fenix Marine Services terminal, is located on the nearly 300-acre Pier 300 complex. Its capacity of roughly 2.5 million container units per year makes it the third-largest terminal in the San Pedro Bay port complex.
According to the port’s website, Pier 300 has eight loading rail tracks, each capable of handling a total of 66 five-platform double-stack rail cars. There are also eight adjacent storage tracks that can handle 73 additional five-platform double-stack rail cars.
This project will add five loading/unloading tracks in the intermodal yard at the Pier 300 terminal, enabling more cargo to be loaded directly onto trains that leave the port destined for the country’s interior.
The additional rail tracks will also reduce the number of times cargo is transferred before it leaves port property, according to Gene Seroka, the port’s executive director.
“Fewer transfers of cargo results in cleaner operations and more fluidity on our container terminals,” Seroka said. “This project will make us more competitive and add to our ability to pursue more discretionary cargo headed for the interior of the United States.”
Construction is expected to begin next year; no completion date was specified.
Funding for the project includes about $18 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration and $19 million from California’s Trade Corridor Enhancement Program. The Port of Los Angeles will provide the remaining portion of the funding.
The Fenix Marine Services terminal began in 1997 as Eagle Marine Services, a subsidiary of Marseilles, France-based maritime shipping conglomerate CMA CGM. In 2017, Sweden-based EQT Infrastructure acquired a 90% stake in the business from CMA CGM for $875 million. EQT changed the terminal’s name to Fenix Marine Services.
In 2022, CMA CGM reacquired the terminal from EQT Infrastructure for $2.3 billion. At the time of the purchase, CMA CGM stated it had plans to expand the container yard at the terminal.
