The DeLong Co., Inc. and partners celebrated the groundbreaking of a $26 million agricultural intermodal export facility in Portsmouth, Virginia, on May 29. The project, set for completion in early 2026, will be the first on the East Coast capable of receiving unit trains and transloading agricultural products directly into export containers.
Phase 1 Renderings of the Portsmouth Agricultural Intermodal Export Facility.The DeLong Co., Inc.
The facility will offer 15,000 metric tons of storage and handle 15,000-20,000 containers annually, primarily exporting whole grains and feedstuffs to Asian markets. It is supported by a $750,000 Rail Infrastructure Access grant from the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation.
Brandon Bickham, Vice President of Exports at The DeLong Co., said, "This project represents a major step in strengthening the economic, agricultural, and logistical landscape of Virginia and the greater East Coast to Midwest corridor."
The groundbreaking ceremony was attended by federal, state, and local officials, including U.S. Representative Bobby Scott and Virginia Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Matt Lohr.
Phase 2 of the project, currently in planning, will further expand storage and throughput capacity.
