Port of Virginia adds CSX rail service to Indianapolis

An article from Containers can now move by rail directly into the region, rather than routing through Chicago and trucking south, according to a railroad spokesperson. Published Aug. 5, 2026 An intermodal facility that connects to the main Port of Virginia terminals via rail. The Port of Virginia is now offering a rail service to Indianapolis, via CSX, to capture market share in the Midwest. Retrieved from Port of Virginia on August 04, 2026 This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if you have feedback . The Port of Virginia began offering rail service via CSX to Indianapolis, according to a LinkedIn post . The new service offers a transit time of five days. “The Midwest is a strong market for imports moving through East Coast ports, and Indianapolis sits in that sweet spot,” Austin Staton, director of media relations at CSX told Supply Chain Dive in an email. Indianapolis is known as the “Crossroads of America.” The city has Class 1 railroad connections and places shippers within a one-day drive to about 75% to 80% of the U.S. population using interstates 65, 69, 70 and 74, Joe Harris, senior director of media relations at The Port of Virginia, told Supply Chain Dive in an email. A map outlines The Port of Virginia’s rail routes. The port now offers rail service to Indianapolis via CSX. Retrieved from Port of Virginia on August 04, 2026 “CSX serves Indianapolis directly, which allows containers to move by rail into the market rather than routing through Chicago and trucking back south,” Staton said. This offers a more direct option for shippers with distribution operations in central Indiana, he added. Shippers also gain not having to deal with congestion of Chicago’s rail and drayage market , which is a strong market with consistent freight . In addition to CSX, Norfolk Southern also provides rail services from The Port of Virginia. Other routes provided with both railroads include Cleveland, Ohio; Columbus, Ohio; Kansas City and Chicago, per the port’s website . “We serve both NS and CSX with on-dock, double stack rail service. Both of these Class-1 carriers help put The Port of Virginia closer to many of the traditional Midwest manufacturing and population centers like Indianapolis,” Harris said. In recent years, The Port of Virginia has made investments to improve its rail offerings . In 2023 to 2024, the port said it invested $83 million towards its central rail yard project at the Norfolk International Terminals in an effort to reduce rail dwell times and expand rail capacity. Last year, the port collaborated with Norfolk Southern to introduce a RailGreen program, providing shippers with the option to have their cargo transported by Norfolk Southern’s locomotives using low-carbon fuel and purchase certificates toward their supply chain emissions. With the funds, the railroad can purchase more biofuel. The service runs to and from The Port of Virginia’s intermodal terminal in Front Royal. The port now has the capacity to process 2 million rail lifts annually thanks to the investments made to its rail operations. Harris said the port’s rail dwell averages 35 to 49 hours, which “means shorter transit windows for rail-bound cargo compared to congested northern or southern gateway competitors.” Editor's note: This story was first published in our Logistics Weekly newsletter. Sign up here .