Inland Port Greer boasts a new record for rail moves for the fiscal year 2025, following a recent expansion at the site.
The port broke 200,000 rail moves for the first time since it began operating in 2013, coming in at 205,523. This is up nearly 10% from 2024, according to a press release from the South Carolina Ports Authority.
Laura Clifton, Manager of Public Relations for S.C. Ports, notes that this year’s growth is not unusual for the terminal.
“As the Upstate has attracted more advanced manufacturing and more warehousing, Inland Port Greer typically has seen year-over-year growth,” Clifton said. “So this is just really a continuation of the Upstate booming and more companies putting down roots there that rely on [the port].”
With the Upstate area on the rise, Greer’s population has exploded — having around 25,000 residents in 2010 and 35,000 in 2020, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Some current data suggests this number to be above 40,000 now. This increased population contributes to the growth of the inland port. According to a press release from S.C. Ports earlier this year, Inland Port Greer saw 355% cargo growth from 2014 to 2024.
This growth allowed S.C. Ports to invest in a $55 million expansion project for the Greer location, which was completed in March. This project added 9,000 feet of additional rail to the port and expanded the container yard and chassis lot. Chassis are the frames used to carry the shipping containers.
With this project, Inland Port Greer increased its cargo capacity by 50%, which contributed to its record-breaking 2025. According to Clifton, the enhancements to the port provided by the expansion project should allow the port to meet projected customer demand through 2040.
As a whole, S.C. Ports’ rail moves between the main port in Charleston and its two inland ports — the other being Inland Port Dillon — are up 4% for the fiscal year. Next year, the company is looking to expand its Charleston location with a near-port railyard. Clifton says that this will allow for quicker transport of goods between ports.
“What [it] does is improve our connectivity from the Port of Charleston to Inland Port Greer, and allow us to move more cargo in a more efficient [manner] to the Upstate,” Clifton said.
The inland port model used by S.C. Ports, Clifton says, is a big reason for the company’s continued success. As the Upstate area continues to grow, Inland Port Greer is expected to grow alongside it.
Follow Breanna Laws on X @GreerByBreanna.
