Union Pacific announced that it is building a state-of-the-art grain transload facility within its Global IV intermodal terminal in Joliet, Illinois, that will reduce supply-chain costs for agricultural producers and processors. The Union Pacific Global IV Transload facility will be managed by JCT, which is a 50/50 joint venture between Consolidated Grain and Barge Co. and Gavilon Grain LLC.

Union Pacific Global IV Transload will be open to all Midwest agricultural producers and processors, expanding connection opportunities to both empty containers and Union Pacific’s extensive West Coast port terminal network. Regional producers and processors will be able to transport their product by truck to Global IV, where it will be transloaded into intermodal marine containers for shipment by rail to West Coast ports, then loaded onto ocean carriers and shipped to overseas markets. The program will offer greater access to containers for exporters and faster turnaround times for ocean carriers and their containers. Construction began this month, with an estimated completion by Q4 2021. Once fully operational, the terminal will have the capacity to process 50,000 containers per year.

“This facility will support the regional agriculture economy by providing reduced supply-chain costs and efficient loading support for exporting grain products, whole grains and oilseeds,” said Kari Kirchhoefer, vice president of marketing and sales premium at Union Pacific. “By co-locating on site at G4, we create greater efficiencies within the supply chain.”