Incoming Port of Long Beach chief Noel Hacegaba said expanding rail connectivity will be central to capturing more discretionary cargo, reported New York's Journal of Commerce.

Mr Hacegaba, currently chief operating officer, will succeed Mario Cordero as CEO on January 1. He said ports that best handle inland point intermodal freight will dominate Asia-US trades, stressing that "rail is the key to our growth."

Long Beach competes with west and east coast ports for Asia-origin cargo bound for inland hubs such as Dallas, Chicago and Atlanta. The Pier B on-dock rail facility, under construction since 2024, is expected to cut ship-to-train times from nearly four days to less than 24 hours when completed in 2032.

The port is investing US$2 billion of its $3.2 billion capital programme over the next decade in rail. Containers moving by rail in November dwelled an average of 3.73 days at Los Angeles-Long Beach terminals, according to the Pacific Merchant Shipping Association.

Two-thirds of Long Beach's cargo moves east by rail. While west coast ports benefit from faster transpacific transit, production shifts to Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent favour east coast gateways. Mr Hacegaba said inland destinations remain competitive for west coast ports with strong rail capacity.

Pier B will expand from 82 acres to 171 acres, tripling on-dock rail capacity from 1.5 million TEU to 4.7 million TEU. Facilities will include locomotive servicing and train staging for units up to 10,000 feet long.

Mr Hacegaba also highlighted BNSF's proposed $1.5 billion Barstow International Gateway as a complementary inland hub. He said building inland rail connectivity is key to growing discretionary cargo and improving access for US importers and exporters.