Daily direct rail service between the Port of Charleston and Huntsville, Alabama, went live Friday, Sept. 11, opening a new intermodal lane that extends the port’s reach into North Alabama and Middle Tennessee.
The South Carolina Ports Authority announced the launch alongside Norfolk Southern the same day, with the service running effective immediately. Intermodal in this context moves containers by ship to Charleston and then by dedicated freight train straight to an inland yard, giving shippers a scheduled rail option beyond the coast.
The route is aimed at cargo moving between Charleston and the North Alabama and Middle Tennessee market. The announcement also identifies Nashville as a regional hub, giving importers and exporters another way to plan rail movements through the Southeast.
The new lane uses Charleston’s broader intermodal network and adds a direct connection to Huntsville. The near-dock rail work associated with the port is the Navy Base Intermodal Facility, rather than a separate facility inside the Leatherman terminal footprint.
For shippers, the practical change is a scheduled daily option between the port and Huntsville. The new service took effect Sept. 11 and is now available for cargo moving between the South Carolina coast and the inland markets named in the announcement.
