Port of Port Arthur, TX rail freight: what lands here and where it goes inland
The largest vessel imports here, year to date through July 2026, are mineral fuels (about $3,838 million), wood pulp (about $131 million) among the 22 commodity chapters Steel Wheel Logistics tracks. The port district is reached by CPKC, Union Pacific and BNSF Railway, which is what makes the Port Arthur gateway useful for shippers whose plants sit hundreds of miles inland. Pulp and forest products shed; Sabine-Neches. This page pairs the Census import data behind the Commodity Flow Map port layer with the railroads, transload capacity and inland lanes that turn a vessel arrival into a rail move.
Top imports by vessel
Vessel imports at Port Arthur, TX, year to date through July 2026, US$ millions, for the commodity chapters Steel Wheel Logistics tracks.
| HS chapter | Commodity group | Vessel imports YTD |
|---|---|---|
| 27 | Mineral fuels · crude oil by rail | $3,838M |
| 47 | Wood pulp · paper by rail | $131M |
| Total, tracked chapters | $3,969M | |
Railroads at the port
- CPKC
- Union Pacific (UP)
- BNSF Railway (BNSF)
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:
- Port of Beaumont — Covered Storage & Dockside Rail — Beaumont, TX (16 mi): port-terminal; breakbulk, warehousing, vessel-rail transload
- Brokers Logistics Ltd — Ashley, TX (17 mi): third-party-warehouse
- Iron Horse Rail Beaumont Terminal — Beaumont, TX (22 mi): transload-terminal; Bulk Conveyor, Liquid Pumps
- Port of Port Arthur — Forest Products Transit Sheds — Port Arthur, TX (1 mi): port-terminal; breakbulk, warehousing, vessel-rail transload
- Watco — Port Arthur, TX (4 mi)
- Port of Beaumont — Beaumont, TX (16 mi)
- GT OmniPort — Port Arthur, TX (4 mi): transload-terminal; Liquid Storage Tanks
- USA Rail Port Arthur — Port Arthur, TX (4 mi): transload-terminal
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 Port Arthur. These describe the flow, not a price: run the indicative rail rate from Port Arthur for a first number.
- Imported crude, refined products and petroleum coke move in tank cars and hoppers to refineries, blending terminals, cement kilns and power plants inland. Indicative rail rate from Port Arthur.
- Imported market pulp moves in boxcars to tissue, paper and packaging mills in the Southeast, Midwest and Northeast. Indicative rail rate from Port Arthur.
- Bulk and break-bulk cargo unloaded at Port Arthur terminals transfers to railcars at dockside or at a nearby transload facility and moves to inland consignees on CPKC, Union Pacific and BNSF Railway lanes. Indicative rail rate from Port Arthur.
- Railcars that deliver inland freight into Port Arthur reposition with outbound export loads, so import lanes are often paired with export moves to keep equipment cycles balanced. Indicative rail rate from Port Arthur.
Common questions
Which railroads serve the Port of Port Arthur?
CPKC, Union Pacific and BNSF Railway reach the Port Arthur, TX port district. Pulp and forest products shed; Sabine-Neches.
What does the Port of Port Arthur import the most?
By vessel value, year to date through July 2026, the largest imports at Port Arthur among the chapters Steel Wheel Logistics tracks are mineral fuels (about $3,838 million), wood pulp (about $131 million). Total tracked vessel imports were about $3,969 million. Source: U.S. Census Bureau International Trade API.
Can I move imported mineral fuels from Port Arthur inland by rail?
The largest tracked vessel import group at Port Arthur is mineral fuels (about $3,838 million year to date through July 2026), and the port district is reached by CPKC, Union Pacific and BNSF Railway. 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.
Moving imports inland from Port Arthur?
Steel Wheel Logistics is an outsourced rail department: we route, price and manage rail moves from the port to your plant. Rate estimates are indicative only 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.