FEC's New Rail Facility at Port Everglades Opens July 14

DATE: July 10, 2014MEDIA CONTACT: Ellen KennedyAssistant Director/CommunicationsPort Everglades Business DevelopmentPHONE: 954-468-3508EMAIL: ekennedy@broward.orgMEDIA CONTACT: Robyn FloodManager, Communications & MarketingFlorida East Coast Railways, LLCPHONE: 904-538-6218EMAIL: robyn.flood@fecrwy.com WHAT: Florida East Coast Railway, LLC (FEC) will unveil its state-of-the-art Intermodal Container Transfer Facility (ICTF) at Port Everglades with a grand opening ceremony featuring FEC trains, cranes and an exclusive firsthand view of South Florida's new global gateway.WHEN: Monday, July 14 9:30 a.m. media-only train tour 10:30 a.m. Ceremony followed by a ribbon cutting Second media-only train tourWHERE: NEW FEC ICTF facility 1500 Eller Drive, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316 Entrance outside of the Port on the south side of Eller DriveABOUT: The state-of-the-art 43-acre facility increases FEC’s available intermodal capacity from 100,000 to 450,000 lifts a year and the unique, near-dock intermodal facility will improve the transfer of both domestic and international containers between ships and rail. Currently, these containers must be drayed off-port to rail terminals such as Andrews Avenue rail yard in Fort Lauderdale or to Hialeah rail yard in Miami-Dade County. The FEC ICTF will allow FEC to build 9,000-foot unit trains within the facility without blocking any city streets and will allow cargo to move through Port Everglades to/from Atlanta and Charlotte in two days, and Nashville and Memphis in three days. FEC’s connections to Class 1 railroads CSX and Norfolk Southern allow for rail service to 70 percent of the U.S. population within four days. Additionally, having empty 53-foot domestic containers and trailers adjacent to the port provides more opportunities to trans-load import cargo from ocean containers to domestic containers for inland rail transport. This results in more domestic containers moving north as loads instead of empties, increasing the efficiency of our intermodal network.The new ICTF will facilitate faster delivery times and create less congested roadways by eliminating a high volume of trucks from our state highways. WHO: Speakers includeJim Hertwig, FEC President & Chief Executive Officer Richard Biter, Assistant Secretary for the Florida Department of Transportation Barbara Sharief, Broward County MayorSteve Cernak, Port Everglades Chief Executive & Port Director George Moraitis, Jr., Florida RepresentativeDIRECTIONS: Outside of the Port on the south side of Eller Drive From I-595: Go east and follow the signs to Port Everglades. Make a left at the exit traffic light and stay in the right lane. The road will split, stay to the right, which is east Eller Drive. The ICTF entrance will be on the right. This is the preferred route. From I-95: Take I-95 to the I-595 East Exit (Airport/Port). Go east and follow the signs to Port Everglades. Make a left at the exit traffic light and stay in the right lane. The road will split, stay to the right, which is east Eller Drive. The ICTF entrance will be on the right before McIntosh Road. From SE 17th Street: Enter on Eisenhower Blvd. by the Broward County Convention Center. You will need to provide a government-issued photo ID at the security checkpoint. Continue south on Eisenhower, which will curve around the Port (Eisenhower changes into SE 32nd Street for a short distance and then into SE 19th Street). Make a right (west) at the traffic light at Eller Drive and continue out of the Port. Stay in the left lane until you reach the second traffic light, NE 7th Avenue. Turn left and then make an immediate left onto eastbound Eller Drive (U-Turn). Get in the right lane as soon as possible. The entrance to the ICTF will be on the right before McIntosh Road. From U.S. 1 to S.R. 84/Spangler Blvd.: Enter the Port from S.R. 84 and provide a government-issued photo ID at the security checkpoint. Travel east to the light at Eisenhower Blvd. and make a right turn (south). Eisenhower curves around the Port changing to SE 32nd Street and then to SE 19th Street. Make a right (west) at the traffic light at Eller Drive and continue out of the Port. Stay in the left lane until you reach the second traffic light, NE 7th Avenue. Turn left and then make an immediate left onto eastbound Eller Drive (U-Turn). Get in the right lane as soon as possible. The entrance to the ICTF will be on the right before McIntosh Road.