Of the $5.1 million in funding the Iowa Department of Transportation recently green-lighted to improve railroad freight service across Iowa, $100,000 is earmarked for Webster City.

That money will fund a study focused on the need for — and feasibility of — a new rail port for Webster City. A new Webster City rail port would allow the city, and a large surrounding region, to receive shipments from anywhere in Canada, the USA or Mexico, and ship goods made here to anywhere in the three countries, or to ocean ports for movement overseas.

Four sites have been identified for a potential new rail port in Webster City: two along the main line of Canadian National Railways west of Webster City, between the city limits and Van Diest Supply Co.; another at the intersection of 220th Street and Stonega Avenue; and a fourth in the Webster City Southeast Industrial Park.

City Manager John Harrenstein, delighted at the announcement of funding for the rail port study, said, “It’s a great opportunity to engage with many people and explore what’s possible.”

The study may take up to 18 months to complete.

Once in place, a rail port would give Webster City a major advantage in attracting a completely new kind of manufacturing or warehousing industry. Many companies already in, or near, Webster City, or considering a move here, could see their supply chain operations dramatically improved by a rail port.

Rail ports allow transfer of goods between freight trains and trucks, without need for a dedicated railroad siding. Modern rail ports allow shippers who can’t fill a rail car to enjoy the lower costs of rail shipment with the flexibility of truck pick up and delivery.

A rail port here would begin with a new spur track, with designated locations to place a railroad car for loading and unloading. New paved roadways would allow trucks to pull up alongside a railroad car, and transfer cargo between the two transportation modes.

At some rail ports, an overhead crane is installed to lift and move shipping containers. At others, hoses allow movement of liquids and dry bulk commodities from rail to truck, and vice-versa.

Perhaps an easier way to understand this is to think of a rail port as an interface between Webster City’s two railroads and the surrounding region’s network of farm-to-market roads. Rail service could literally be extended to anywhere a truck can pick up or drop off a load.

The City Council of Webster City agreed to apply for the grant at its July 15 meeting; one of the city’s consultants — Snyder & Associates of Ankeny — wrote the grant application. While the State of Iowa awarded the $100,000 grant for the study, the city will match this funding with a further $25,000.