February 8 - For the first time since the Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor opened in 1970, the Lake Michigan port will have an onsite, dedicated rail-switching service. Norfolk Southern has been selected to begin providing switching services for customers of

The decision to appoint the Class 1 freight railroad comes just six months after the port handled one of the biggest single cargoes in the port's 40-year history. A 388-tonne electrical transformer arrived on the Beluga Recognition fromCordoba, Spain, and was transloaded at the port onto the largest railcar ever to enter the facility. The transformer was loaded on the 20-axle railcar for its trip to Ottawa, Illinois, for installation at the Exelon Corp's LaSalle County Nuclear Generating Station.

At the end of December, the Port of Indiana handled its largest-ever shipment of project cargo. Local business, community and Great Lakes officials joined port management for a special celebration commemorating the 40th anniversary of Indiana's first port at which port director Peter Laman announced that the port was handling by far its largest-ever project cargo shipment.

The shipment of 134 complete turbine units was carried by 11 ships from Canada Steamship Lines and Flinter Shipping from various locations around the Great Lakes. The shipment was co-ordinated by Vectora Transportationto the final destination in Bloomington, Illinois.