Port of Baltimore, MD rail freight: what lands here and where it goes inland

The largest vessel imports here, year to date through July 2026, are aluminum (about $1,386 million), inorganic chemicals (about $1,025 million), iron and steel (about $584 million) among the 22 commodity chapters Steel Wheel Logistics tracks. The port district is reached by CSX and Norfolk Southern, which is what makes the Baltimore gateway useful for shippers whose plants sit hundreds of miles inland. Canton Railroad; Tradepoint Rail; Balterm forest products. This page pairs the Census import data behind the Commodity Flow Map port layer with the railroads, transload capacity and inland lanes that turn a vessel arrival into a rail move.

Top imports by vessel

Vessel imports at Baltimore, MD, year to date through July 2026, US$ millions, for the commodity chapters Steel Wheel Logistics tracks.

Railroads at the port

• CSX
• Norfolk Southern (NS)

Where more than one Class I reaches a port, the routing choice sets the inland rate, the interchange points and which inland terminals are single-line. That is the first question a lane audit answers.

Rail transload and terminal capacity nearby

Rail-served transload facilities within 30 miles of the port, from the Steel Wheel Transload Directory:

• Rukert Terminals — Baltimore, MD (3 mi): port-terminal; breakbulk, dry bulk, warehousing, vessel-rail transload
• Access World USA Baltimore — Baltimore, MD (4 mi): port-terminal; warehousing, breakbulk, vessel-rail transload
• Port of Baltimore — Dundalk Marine Terminal (MPA) — Baltimore, MD (5 mi): port-terminal; breakbulk, warehousing, vessel-rail transload
• Liquid Transfer Terminal — Baltimore, MD (6 mi): Air Compressor, Blending Meters, Liquid Pumps, Liquid Storage Tanks
• S.H. Bell Patapsco Avenue Terminal — Baltimore, MD (4 mi): port-terminal; warehousing, breakbulk, vessel-rail transload
• Balterm — South Locust Point Marine Terminal (Logistec) — Baltimore, MD (1 mi): port-terminal; breakbulk, warehousing, vessel-rail transload
• CITGO/Sunoco Baltimore Petroleum Terminal — Baltimore, MD (4 mi): private-plant; Liquid Storage Tanks
• Trade Point Bulk Terminal — Sparrows Pt, MD (10 mi): Air Compressor, Blending Meters, Blower, Bulk Conveyor

Distances are straight-line from the port's Census coordinates. Capabilities are as listed by the operator; confirm before routing.

Typical inland lanes from this port

How the top import groups typically move inland from Baltimore. These describe the flow, not a price: run the indicative rail rate from Baltimore for a first number.

• Imported aluminum ingot, billet and coil moves in gondolas and boxcars to extruders, rolling mills and automotive suppliers in the Midwest, Southeast and Texas. Indicative rail rate from Baltimore.
• Imported caustic soda, acids and other inorganic chemicals move in tank cars to chemical plants, water utilities and manufacturers inland. Indicative rail rate from Baltimore.
• Imported steel slab, coil and plate moves inland to mills, pipe makers and service centers in the Ohio Valley, Texas, the Southeast and the Upper Midwest. Indicative rail rate from Baltimore.
• Imported lumber and panels ride centerbeam flats and boxcars to building-materials yards near housing markets in the Midwest, Northeast and Sun Belt. Indicative rail rate from Baltimore.
• Imported green coffee and tea move in boxcars to roasters and distribution centers in the Midwest, Northeast and Texas. Indicative rail rate from Baltimore.
• Imported resin and polymer moves in covered hoppers and boxcars to compounders and converters across the Midwest, Southeast and Northeast. Indicative rail rate from Baltimore.

Priced lanes from Baltimore

Indicative single-car estimates from our rate model for lanes we have already priced out of this port. Not a quote; the serving railroad confirms the rate.

Common questions

Which railroads serve the Port of Baltimore?

CSX and Norfolk Southern reach the Baltimore, MD port district. Canton Railroad; Tradepoint Rail; Balterm forest products.

What does the Port of Baltimore import the most?

By vessel value, year to date through July 2026, the largest imports at Baltimore among the chapters Steel Wheel Logistics tracks are aluminum (about $1,386 million), inorganic chemicals (about $1,025 million), iron and steel (about $584 million). Total tracked vessel imports were about $5,691 million. Source: U.S. Census Bureau International Trade API.

Can I move imported aluminum from Baltimore inland by rail?

The largest tracked vessel import group at Baltimore is aluminum (about $1,386 million year to date through July 2026), and the port district is reached by CSX and Norfolk Southern. The Steel Wheel transload directory lists at least 8 rail-served transload facilities within 30 miles of the port. Use the indicative rail rate tool for a first estimate and a lane audit to confirm routing; estimates are indicative until confirmed with the serving railroad.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, International Trade API, general imports by port of entry, vessel value, year to date through July 2026. Steel Wheel Logistics analysis.