Transportation in Delaware

EXCELLENT HIGHWAY SYSTEM SERVING THE EASTERN MEGALOPOLIS :

The major north-south highway along the Eastern Seaboard is Interstate 95. Delaware's direct access to I-95 provides industry with fast, efficient, economical delivery service anywhere in the nation. More than 25% of the U.S. population can be reached within one day.

I-95 joins Delaware in the north from Philadelphia, travels through Wilmington to the Maryland line south of Newark, and provides a direct connection to point's south and west via the Baltimore Harbor Tunnel and Baltimore Beltway. I-295 crosses the Delaware River via the Delaware Memorial Twin Bridges, linking with the New Jersey Turnpike on its way to New York and New England. The Wilmington By-Pass, I-495, provides access to the Port of Wilmington and many of northern Delaware's major industrial parks.

Major industrial centers in central and southern Delaware are linked to the interstate system by Delaware Route 1 a limited access state highway . In addition U.S. Highways 13 and 113 connect to Delaware Route 1. These routes provide direct connections with the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel to Norfolk and southern states.

U.S. Route 301 begins at the Delaware Memorial Twin Bridges and goes to Richmond, Virginia via the Chesapeake Bay Bridge at Annapolis, Maryland. This convenient route joins I-60 and rejoins I-95 at Richmond, Virginia, thus bypassing the congested Baltimore, Maryland and Washington, DC areas for time saving delivery.

The Cape May-Lewes Ferry links southern New Jersey with southern Delaware, joining the entire Delmarva Peninsula with the Garden State Parkway.

AIRPORTS LINK DELAWARE WITH NATION AND WORLD :

Delaware's network of public and private airports can readily accommodate commercial and corporate aircraft. Worldwide passenger service is one half-hour from downtown Wilmington at the Philadelphia International Airport. For southern Delaware, the Baltimore-Washington International Airport is less than a two-hour drive from most locations in Kent and Sussex Counties.  Salisbury -Ocean City-Wicomico Regional Airport through USair Commuter provides easy access to the surrounding major airports.

The New Castle County Airport, just 15 minutes from Wilmington, offers worldwide cargo service with the fastest, most efficient ground delivery system in the four state area. Both the New Castle County Airport and the Sussex County Airport in Georgetown are equipped with complete facilities for major engine and mainframe maintenance and repair. The Sussex County Airport is one of two locations in the US to be certified to provide maintance for Boeing 737 Business Jets. Several other airports in the State offer major and minor repair and maintenance service for commercial and corporate aircraft. Leasing and storage for aircraft is also available at key locations.

The New Castle County Airport and the Sussex County Airport in Georgetown both offer the double convenience of good transportation and prime industrial sites. In addition, access to central Delaware by air is enhanced by a joint use agreement with the Dover Air Force Base.

FREIGHT RAILROAD SERVICE TO EVERY COUNTY :

Delaware is served by two Class I railroads, Conrail and CSX. CSX's main line serves New Castle County with connections to Conrail and the Port of Wilmington. Conrail serves Delaware via the Amtrak Northeast Corridor and provides service to the entire Delmarva Peninsula.

Conrail is currently in the process of being acquired by CSX and the Norfolk Southern Railway. It is anticipated that Conrail lines in Delaware will be taken over by Norfolk Southern in 1999. This will provide direct access for shippers to and from most major markets east of the Mississippi.

Since Conrail took over the peninsula lines in the 1970's, it and the federal government have invested over $50 million in track improvements. In 1988, the installation of continuous welded rail on the principal freight lines in New Castle County and on 80 miles of track from Newark to Indian River was completed.

Conrail's main north-south line extends to Pocomoke, Maryland and provides an alternative connection to Norfolk, Virginia and all southern destinations via the Eastern Shore Railroad's car float operation at Cape Charles. This is particularly convenient for unusually wide or high loads that cannot be accommodated on other lines due to clearance limitations.

There are direct connections to the Port of Wilmington for fast, low cost import/export shipping. The State of Delaware recently upgraded the internal rail circulation and intermodal facilities of the port. The acquisition of Conrail's lines by Norfolk Southern may provide new opportunities for rail shipments across the United States.

Several short line railroads provide service from Conrail and CSX lines direct to customers. The Wilmington & Western Railway and the Brandywine Valley Railroad serve northern New Castle from the CSX mainline, with the Brandywine Valley extending into Pennsylvania. Six short lines branch off from Conrail's Delmarva line, five of which are operated by the Maryland & Delaware Railroad: two owned by the State of Delaware, serving Milton, Georgetown Industrial Park, and Lewes; two owned by Maryland, serving customers in that state; and one owned by the Snow Hill Shippers' Association, serving agricultural customers in both states. The Clayton-Easton line is currently inactive. Several of these lines also host tourist excursion railroads.

Most major industrial sites in Delaware are located on railroad lines or have rail connections available. Vacant industrial property with rail access is available at several locations in the state. Delaware railroads generally have reserve capacity available to accommodate additional traffic. 

PASSENGER RAIL SERVICE :

AMTRAK - Wilmington is located on Amtrak's Northeast Rail corridor, and is served by over 100 passenger trains per weekday. Wilmington's train station is the ninth busiest station in Amtrak's Northeast region. Service includes hourly Metroliners that provide 90-minute trips to Washington, DC and New York City with intermediate stops.

COMMUTER RAIL - The Delaware Transit Corporation (DTC) contracts with the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) to provide commuter rail service between Delaware and Center City Philadelphia. This service provides connections to SEPTA's bus and train systems including the Philadelphia International Airport, PATCO and New Jersey Transit (NJT). The commuter rail service contracted through SEPTA includes 34 weekday trains and 10 Saturday trains to Wilmington's Amtrak Station, also stopping at Claymont. Fourteen weekday trains are extended to the recently opened Newark station.

YEAR-ROUND PORT SERVICE :

The first deepwater port on the Delaware River, the Port of Wilmington is located at the confluence of the Christina and Delaware Rivers and approximately 60 miles from the Atlantic Ocean. It encompasses 308 acres, has seven deepwater general cargo berths with over 4000 lineal feet of pier space, an oil transfer jetty, and a newly constructed 875-foot long auto and Ro-Ro (roll on roll off) berth on the Delaware River.

Two high speed, 50-ton multi purpose gantry cranes and one heavy lift crane are used to load and discharge the five million tons of cargo moving through the Port each year. With 700,000 square feet of refrigerated warehouse space located pier side Wilmington offers customers the largest specialized facility in the U.S. Forest products, steel and general cargo are stored in its 250,000 square feet of dry warehouse space. Truckers have ready access to all major interstate highways and major domestic railroads provide efficient and competitively priced rail service.

Year after year, Wilmington handles more containers and more Chilean winter fruit than any other port on the Delaware River. General Motors uses Wilmington exclusively for exporting its new vehicles to the Middle East and Volkswagen imports up to 100,000 new Audis and Volkswagen through the port annually. Wilmington is the world's "top-banana" port, the #1 U.S. gateway for fresh fruit and juice concentrates, and for palletized frozen meat. A diversified cargo portfolio, a port managed terminal and warehouse operation and a tenant base that includes Dole Fresh Fruit Company, Chiquita Fresh North America, Volkswagen of America and Citrosuco North America Inc. have sustained the port's growth and profitability.

The Port of Wilmington, Delaware is a major economic engine for the State of Delaware. Owned and operated by the Diamond State Port Corporation, a for profit entity of the State of Delaware, the Port of Wilmington annually produces $213 million in business revenue, $225 million in salary and wages, creates 5,800 good paying jobs, and generates $23 million in state and local taxes.