Trains to transport 200,000 vehicles a year from Hyundai plant near Savannah, company says

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Trains to transport 200,000 vehicles a year from Hyundai plant near Savannah, company says

Add train traffic to the coming flurry of activity surrounding

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manufacturing complex near Savannah.

When at full capacity, the 16-million-square-foot

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t along Interstate 16 in Bryan County is expected to churn out 300,000 electric vehicles per year. More than two-thirds of those will travel hundreds of miles as rail cargo before they carry passengers of their own, the South Korean automaker says.

About 70% of the newly built EVs – more than 200,000 annually – will be hauled by train for at least 500 miles, said Hyundai spokeswoman Bianca Johnson. Those with closer destinations will be moved by truck, she added.

Hyundai, recognizing the role that rail service would play, sought modifications to a federal environmental permit early this year allowing for an additional line of track at the 2,500-acre site.

“Due to the production volume associated with the (Hyundai) facility, it was determined that rail siding would need to be installed along the existing line to accommodate the large increase in the number of rail cars,” the 

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 and

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wrote in a request to the

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. “The rail siding will provide needed space for rail cars specifically servicing the (Hyundai) facility while maintaining an open and operational main line.”

In its approval of the changes in March, USACE noted that adding the second rail line would require eliminating 5 acres of wetlands.

“Construction activities would include depositing fill material adjacent to the existing main line to establish appropriate elevations and enable installation of the new siding,” the Corps wrote.

USACE already had permitted the filling in of more than 221 acres of wetlands on the entire Hyundai site in exchange for “

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” purchased by the state and local development authorities. Those funds are tied to conservation projects elsewhere.

Permit problems: Feds should have known – and been told – of water demands for Hyundai site, experts say

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Autorack rail cars like this one will be used to transport more then 200,000 newly assembled vehicles per year from Hyundai Motor Company’s manufacturing facility near Savannah.

On track for lower emissions

Nationwide, about 75% of new cars and light trucks sold are moved by rail at some point in their journey from the manufacturer to the dealership, according to the

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.

They typically are carried in enclosed rail cars called autoracks whose multiple levels can accommodate from 10 to two-dozen vehicles.

The mode of transportation matters because trains produce far less pollution than a fleet of trucks carrying an equal amount of cargo.

Carbon dioxide emissions from rail operations are up to nine times lower than over-the-road transport, according to a report by the

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. Heat-trapping carbon pollution from the burning of fossil fuels – primarily for transportation and energy production – is the leading cause of climate change.

Trains also release up to 80% fewer fine particles that can have serious health impacts if they penetrate deep into the lungs or enter the bloodstream, a study by the

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concluded.

Hyundai struck a transport deal in 2022 with Connecticut-based

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, which operates the

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.

How far the vehicle-laden trains will travel after leaving the Hyundai site and how many there will be is still unclear, according to a railway official.

“Since production at the facility isn’t up and running yet, we can’t speak concretely on volumes and route at this time,” G&W Vice President of Communications Tom Ciuba said in an email to the Savannah Morning News.

Hyundai says the plant – which is projected to employ 8,500 workers – will begin production before the end of the year. The company showed off early versions of the 2025 Ioniq 5 electric SUV that will be assembled there during an event Tuesday at a Savannah dealership.

G&W owns or leases more than 100 freight railroads covering 13,000 miles in 43 U.S. states and five ********* provinces. It bought the Central Georgia Railway, which runs from Savannah to Macon, in 2005.

For its Hyundai transports, the carrier says it will use reconditioned diesel locomotives that are more fuel efficient while releasing less carbon dioxide and particulate matter than traditional engines, Ciuba said.

According to G&W’s 2023 Environmental, Social and Governance Report, the company plans to purchase nearly 200 cleaner engines and retire 273 older models this year.

The company has cut greenhouse gas emissions by 15% since 2020 and set a goal of 42% reductions by 2035.

John Deem covers climate change and the environment in coastal Georgia. He can be reached at 912-652-0213 or *****@*****.tld. 

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News:

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#Trains #transport #vehicles #year #Hyundai #plant #Savannah #company

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