"This is great news for the City of Auburn and for the entire State," said Senator Collins. "The Auburn Intermodal Facility already has shown us a glimpse of its tremendous potential to facilitate trade in and out of Maine. But its potential could not be reached without a Customs Service presence on site. The commitment Commissioner Bonner has made to me today clears the path for the facility to become a powerful generator of economic development in the region." In 1992, the City of Auburn, Maine, joined with SL&A, now a subsidiary of Genesee & Wyoming Company, to form a public/private partnership to construct a rail/truck intermodal facility designed to serve as a gateway to the global marketplace for Maine products. The Auburn Intermodal Facility, which opened for business in October 1994, has assumed an important role in the economies of Auburn and the entire region. The Facility provides cost savings options to businesses through the operation of the only high cube, doublestack intermodal terminal in northern New England and is critical to capitalizing on a wide range of economic development opportunities.
The Facility services containers with products for New England businesses and consumers and makes them available for products being exported by manufacturers in Maine and throughout New England. The Facility provides environmental benefits by taking thousands of long haul truck trips off the highway system and putting them on an efficient long haul cost-effective rail alternative.
The Facility currently processes approximately 1,400 40-foot international containers of imported cargo each year. However, the St. Lawrence & Atlantic Railroad Company has identified potential customers that could result in a volume of 35,000 containers or more per year. But the increased volume will not happen without a Customs Service presence available to inspect containers on site.
"Bringing the U.S. Customs Service directly to this location is the most important single factor in facilitating the Auburn Intermodal Facility''s progress toward reaching its potential," Senator Collins said.