Terminal planned ,

Terminal planned ,

near Front Royal

Governor Gerald L. Baliles and the Virginia Port Authority last week announced plans to ; create an inland terminal that will be known as. the Virginia Inland Port (VIP) near Front Royal.

Based on engineering costs and proposals yet ' to be submitted, the VPA is targeting the VIP to ' be operational by summer 1988. The agency expects to make a decision on the method of opera-' tion before the first of the year.

The intermodal facility will function similarly to other inland hubs by attracting truck traffic within a surrounding region of about 200 miles and transferring that cargo to rail for transport between VIP mid the marine terminals at the Port of Hampton Roads.

"Steamship lines that call at the ports of Vir- • ginia have a base of cargo in Maryland, Pennsyl- ! vania, Ohio and West Virginia that they need to protect,” said J. Robert Bray, VPA executive di- ; rector. "VIP lets them do that at a cost is ’ attractive to them.”

Mr. Bray also emphasized the value of VIP to Virginia shippers in the Hampton Roads hinterland. He said the truck and rail combination of! the inland terminal will give them a competitive ; alternative by saving time and cutting the costs - of going up and down the Chesapeake Bay.

Options have been signed on two tracts totaling 150 acres, with Norfolk Southern Corpora- : tion rail tracks on the east and a four-lane divided highway, Route 522, on the west. Route ; 522 connects with Interstate 66, an east-west route which connects with Interstate 81, a north. south route a few miles west in Strasburg.

In addition to the design of the rail cars, deci-1 sions remain to be made regarding the terminal operator and purchase of operating equipment. . Warren County officials have also been briefed ; on planning the design of the facility itself.