The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) formally announced that a Rail Test Centre (RTC) for intermodal radiation detection is to be established at the Port of Tacoma.

A port statement said the RTC, which was authorised in the SAFE Port Act of 2006, will identify and evaluate radiological/nuclear detection solutions for major US port intermodal rail facilities, such as those at the Port of Tacoma.

With four on-dock intermodal yards, more than 70 per cent of the Port of Tacoma's import containers are moved from shipping terminals to mainline railways, destined for major markets in the US midwest and east coast.

The announcement of the establishment of the RTC was made by US Senator Patty Murray at a news conference attended also by officials from the Department of Homeland Security, the Port, Customs, Coast Guard, and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union.