SAVANNAH, Ga, – The Appalachian Regional Port has been busy.
In fact, in a recent press release from the Georgia Ports Authority, the port has achieved its busiest November on record, moving 3,876 containers last month — a nearly 35 percent jump from a year earlier.
“Our customers are experiencing a very strong, smooth running supply chain for their exports and imports using the Appalachian Regional Port. This enables them to compete and win more business in world markets,” said Georgia Ports Chief Commercial Officer Flavio Batista.
“The roughly 1,000-container gain underscores the inland terminal’s expanding role as a logistics hub. The rail facility provides daily service, with seven outbound and seven inbound trains per week to and from the Port of Savannah,” the release stated.
Set near the town of Chatsworth, about an hour and a half north of Atlanta, the rail-served terminal connects directly to Savannah via CSX. Each container railed to the Port of Savannah through the inland hub eliminates about 710 roundtrip truck miles, reducing highway congestion and emissions through Metro Atlanta.
“The Appalachian Regional Port is a strong operational service for supply chains. We have a 48 hour rail transit with daily service from ARP connecting to our 35 ship calls a week in Savannah,” said Chief Operating Officer Ed McCarthy. “With easy access to Interstate 75 and U.S. 411, the ARP is ideally located to generate business opportunities and drive economic growth for Northwest Georgia.”
The state of Georgia lists the ARP’s home of Murray County as a Tier 1 county, incentivizing development through the highest job creation tax credits available at $4,000 per new job. Since opening in 2018, the ARP has helped to draw billions in private investment and thousands of jobs from manufacturers. The ARP is in the 15-county Northwest Georgia economic development region, in which the economic impact from the Port of Savannah supports 45,800 full- and part-time jobs. According to an economic impact study by the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business, port-supported employment across Northwest Georgia increased by 14 percent or more than 5,600 jobs between fiscal year 2023 and FY2024.
The ARP handled more than 46,000 containers in fiscal 2025, which ended June 30, 2025.
Located less than an hour from Chattanooga, the ARP also serves Tennessee customers.
Through the first five months of fiscal 2026, the ARP has processed 20,030 containers, up 20 percent from the same period a year earlier.
GPA’s Inland Port Network
While the ARP was GPA’s first inland port, the Blue Ridge Connector is currently under construction in the Gainesville, Ga., area. Served by Norfolk Southern, the BRC is expected to open in the Spring of 2026.
Port officials say they expect strong demand at the BRC, considering its location only 50 miles from Atlanta, and proximity to Interstate 85 and local industry. The Blue Ridge Connector will serve a manufacturing and logistics corridor in Northeast Georgia with a regional population of more than 2 million people.
In North Carolina, importers and exporters tap into a faster supply chain through a direct rail connection between Savannah and Rocky Mount, NC, via the CSX Carolina Connector intermodal terminal. The Carolina Connector service provides seven-day-a-week CSX rail departures from Savannah, with three-day transit time from vessel to cargo arrival.
Bruce Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has lived in three states including Arkansas, Missouri and Georgia. During his nearly 20-year career, Bruce has served as managing editor and sports editor for numerous publications. He and his wife, Dana, who is also a journalist, are based in Carrollton, Georgia.
