Transportation Infrastructure

Transportation That Keeps You On The Move

Our Department of Transportation has been rated among the nation’s most efficient for five years, and is served by three railroads, three airports, and one of the nation’s most prolific ports.

Airports

Three airports stretch less than an hour from our borders, including our own Chester Catawba Regional Airport and Charlotte Douglas International Airport with 11 airlines and 600 daily flights. Ranked the nation’s 18th busiest airport, Charlotte Douglas offers non-stop flights to over 100 U.S. cities and to 30 European and Caribbean destinations. In addition to passenger service, Charlotte-Douglas International Airport serves as a major center for air cargo with major air freight carriers FedEx, UPS, Emory Worldwide and DHS.

AMTRAK

Three passenger trains serve the Amtrak Station in Charlotte, North Carolina. The station is located at 1914 North Tryon Street, about 1.5 miles northeast of downtown Charlotte. Built in 1961 by Southern Railway, the station replaces a former Southern Railway passenger station based at the downtown intersection of Trade Street and 4th Street.

The Columbia Amtrak Station in Columbia, South Carolina, is served by the Amtrak passenger train The Silver Star. Located three miles southeast of Columbia’s downtown area, the station’s street address is 850 Pulaski Street.

Foreign Trade Zones

Four strategically located foreign trade zones serve our county, offering substantial savings for companies which import or export manufactured goods or raw materials. Some of the benefits offered by our trade zones include:

• Duty paid only when imports are shipped out of the zone or sold
• Duty not owed on labor, overhead, or profit attributed to production operations within the zone
• Spare parts stored, returned, or destroyed without paying duty
• No country of origin labels required on merchandise admitted to the zone
• Up to 40% lower insurance rates (based on Area Development magazine)

Foreign Trade Zone Locations

Railways

Chester County is in the unique position of a having a long established shortline railroad, the L&C Railway, that connects with both Norfolk Southern and CSX. This allows industrial clients to negotiate for very competitive freight rates, and has resulted in 20-30% savings on rail freight costs in many cases versus being captive to one rail carrier. By having access to both eastern Class I railways, industrial clients also have access to a much wider supply base for raw and finished materials. With more than 3,300 acres of industrially zoned, rail served sites Chester County is an incredibly attractive location for companies who require cost-competitive rail service.

Ports

Chester County is served by Port of Charleston which ranks second only to New York ports in tonnage, yet offers the East Coast’s fastest time to open sea. Located three hours from Chester County, Port of Charleston welcomes companies to expand their global markets with over 50 steamship companies that call in more than 140 countries.

With fully automated customs, Port of Charleston provides a real-time cargo expediting and clearance system linking all involved parties for streamlined processing. In fact, 90% of container cargo can be cleared within just two hours, and 85% of break-bulk cargo is cleared within 24 hours.