Intermodal Transportation

Connecting Appalachia to both a domestic and worldwide chain of suppliers and markets is essential to the economic success of its businesses, communities, and people. By coordinating the ADHS with other highway, rail and inland waterway systems, Appalachia can help its existing businesses become more competitive and attract new businesses and employment to the Region. ARC supports research, planning, and development activities designed to improve accessibility to the Region's transportation resources as well as the responsiveness of those resources.

ARC's intermodal transportation development strategies include:

• Completing the Appalachian Development Highway System;
• Improving the capacity, efficiency, and responsiveness of Appalachia's railways, including the development of new intermodal corridors and critical short line rail links to smaller communities and rural areas;
• Enhancing the growth and success of Appalachia's waterway navigation system, including obtaining Marine Highway Corridor designation for key inland navigation links;
• Strengthening Appalachia's access to key coastal ports, which serve as Appalachian gateways to international commerce; and
• Developing new intermodal terminals throughout the Region to better coordinate highway, rail, and inland navigation services and to ensure convenient access to the transportation system by Appalachia's businesses, communities, and people.

In 2007, ARC established a regional study group to evaluate changing macro-economic trends and project the affects of these trends on the Region's future commerce and on the movement of goods to, from, and across Appalachia. The group, which includes economic development, transportation, and international trade professionals from across Appalachia, published its research and recommendations in the report Network Appalachia.

Intermodal Links

Network Appalachia Report

Network Appalachia Transportation Planning and Development Group Members

The Heartland Corridor: Opening New Access to Global Opportunity (PDF: 1.8 MB)