USA: The Port of Tacoma terminal capacity increase planned by Washington United Terminals in Washington state would reach 49% after four new cranes are commissioned by 2028.

Aerial view of an intermodal rail yard with container trains at the Port of Tacoma.
Intermodal rail yard with container trains at the Port of Tacoma. Illustrative photo. Photo: Sea Cow, CC BY-SA 4.0.

The HMM subsidiary plans to raise capacity from 590,000 to 880,000 twenty-foot equivalent units, adding 290,000 TEUs to its stated annual handling capability. The contract covers two quay cranes and two yard cranes.

Under the agreement, HD Hyundai Samho will design, manufacture, transport, install and commission the equipment. Two aging quay cranes will be replaced, while the yard fleet will gain two additional cranes.

New cranes support larger vessel calls

Washington United Terminals currently operates eight quay cranes and six yard cranes. The announcement says the new equipment will help the terminal accommodate larger container ships, but it does not publish the new cranes’ outreach, lift height or rated load.

The terminal’s existing marine equipment profile provides context for the upgrade. Its four post-Panamax quay cranes have an 18-container outreach and a rated load of 70 metric tons, while four super post-Panamax cranes reach across 24 containers and are rated at 100 long tons. Those figures describe the present fleet, not the contracted replacements.

Don’t miss…Massachusetts Central Acquisition Expands Regional Rail

On-dock rail links the terminal to inland networks

The same facility profile lists a 23-acre dedicated intermodal yard with four continuously welded tracks, each 3,900 feet long. It has capacity for 52 double-stack railcars and allows container work and rail switching to take place concurrently.

The Northwest Seaport Alliance identifies the Hyundai Intermodal Yard as an on-dock facility served by BNSF Railway and Union Pacific Railroad. Tacoma’s municipal railway provides local switching at the port.

The crane contract does not include a rail-yard expansion, and no rail share has been assigned to the planned 290,000-TEU increase. The capacity gain remains a target until the new cranes are delivered and commissioned by 2028.

News on railway transport, industry, and railway technologies from Railway Supply that you might have missed:

Don’t miss…FRA inspects completed NYS&W upgrades in Central New York