Over 35,000 Containers Await Rail Transport at the Los Angeles–Long Beach Port Complex

Heading into late October 2026, inland intermodal logistics moving out of the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach have come under mounting operational pressure. Nearly 35,700 inbound containers remain stranded across terminal yards awaiting rail departure. The bottleneck stems from a combination of sustained peak cargo volumes and a shortfall of available railcars, creating persistent friction in evacuating import containers off the docks.

According to data compiled from daily rail reports published by The Dwell, 35,688 containers were queued for rail connections across the twin ports as of October 26, 2026. Within this total, 10,562 boxes had been dwelling on terminal footprints for nine days or more. The data reflects individual physical units rather than twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU).

Rail Dwell Times Continue to Climb

Railhead congestion is notably more pronounced at the Port of Los Angeles, where 19,626 boxes were waiting for railcars, with 8,133 of those containers - equivalent to 41.4% - dwelling for at least nine days. At the Port of Long Beach, out of 16,062 rail-destined containers, 2,429 units (15.1%) crossed the nine-day dwell threshold.

Data from the Pacific Merchant Shipping Association (PMSA) confirms that average rail dwell times across the port complex expanded from 6.75 days in August to 7.19 days in September. In contrast, average truck dwell times crept up only marginally, rising from 2.95 days to 3.18 days.

Analysts note that a single-day snapshot of pending rail boxes must be distinguished from rolling average dwell metrics. These indicators highlight distinct operational dimensions of terminal congestion, and a high aggregate backlog does not mean every queued container has exceeded normal dwell baselines.

Record Cargo Influx Strains Railcar Availability

Both gateways posted historic cargo volumes in September 2026. The Port of Los Angeles processed roughly 1.04 million TEU, while the Port of Long Beach reached 997,177 TEU. According to PMSA, the prolonged peak season surge has been a primary catalyst extending terminal dwell times across the complex.

In its October market intelligence update, freight brokerage C.H. Robinson pointed to a deficit of intermodal railcars across Southern California as the primary chokepoint impeding inland freight flows. Equipment deficits, coupled with imbalances in empty container repositioning, continue to stretch import dwell times. Conversely, local and regional drayage operations remain comparatively fluid.

Two Class I western railroads - BNSF and Union Pacific (UP) - anchor rail transport out of the Southern California hub. A UP representative stated that elevated international volumes have pressured railcar supply, but contingency resources and the high-volume throughput handled at its off-dock Intermodal Container Transfer Facility (ICTF) are helping maintain cargo fluidity off the terminals.

At Long Beach, on-dock rail utilization at select container terminals has reached 50%.

Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka stated that the complex processed approximately 8 million TEU over the trailing four-month period - roughly 4 million TEU at each gateway. He noted that while truck dwell remained relatively stable over a 90-day window at approximately 3.5 days, rail dwell hovered above 5 days, with both figures still tracking above target operational performance levels.

Seroka noted that rail performance has been compounded by severe import-export equipment imbalances, as cargo owners accelerated shipments to hedge against broader supply chain vulnerabilities. However, repositioning runs of westbound railcars into the region accelerated sharply over the preceding three weeks, signaling potential operational relief ahead.

At the Port of Long Beach, Chief Operating Officer Noel Hacegaba remarked that average rail dwell remained below 5 days, though smaller secondary inland rail ramps are experiencing longer delays than primary inland hubs. To drive long-term structural efficiencies, the port is advancing its Pier B On-Dock Rail Support Facility project, which aims to compress ship-to-rail transfer cycles from four days down to 24 hours.

Impending Labor Strike Poses Downside Disruption Risks

Despite the heavy buildup of rail-bound containers on the docks, The Dwell data indicates an absence of corresponding berth congestion. During the week of October 26, only a single container ship was registered at anchor waiting for an open berth across the entire complex.

Terminal operations, however, face a distinct operational hazard in the coming days. According to the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA), approximately 250 port security guards represented by the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) Local 26 voted to authorize a strike. The walkout could commence as early as 5:00 PM Pacific Time on November 1 if negotiations fail to yield a collective bargaining agreement.

PMA noted that terminals employing ILWU Local 26 security personnel process roughly 85% of Long Beach’s throughput and 33% of container volumes moving through Los Angeles. Although the bargaining unit itself is relatively small, terminal operations could face widespread disruption if other dockworkers refuse to cross picket lines to report for shifts. Such an impasse would jeopardize vessel stevedoring, yard movements, and gate drayage operations.

As of October 28, contract negotiations were ongoing with no strike action confirmed. With import boxes continuing to pile up at on-dock rail yards and dwell times remaining elevated, the trajectory of these labor talks represents a critical variable for supply chain managers moving cargo through the Los Angeles - Long Beach corridor.

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Source: Phaata.com (According to Freight Waves)

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