LONG BEACH, Calif. — The Port of Long Beach announced Monday it will receive $283 million from the federal government to build "America's Green Gateway," a rail project aimed at expediting deliveries across the nation.

The U.S. Department of Transportation provided the funding for the port's B On-Dock Rail Support Facility through its Mega Grant Program. The $1.5 billion project is expected to be the port's centerpiece of on-dock rail construction improvements, according to port officials.

Port officials said moving cargo by on-dock rail -- directly moving containers to and from marine terminals by trains -- is cleaner and more efficient because it reduces truck traffic.

The new facility will more than double the size of the existing Pier B rail yard from 82 acres to 171 acres and more than triple the volume of on- dock rail cargo the port can handle annually -- from 1.5 million twenty-foot equivalent units to 4.7 million.

The yard will also include a depot for fueling and servicing up to 30 trains at the same time and a full-service staging area to assemble and break down trains up to 10,000 feet long, according to port officials.

Construction is expected to begin next year. The project will be built in phases, with completion aimed for 2032.

The federal grant follows a $158.4 million award from the state, according to California Transportation Secretary Toks Omishakin, who led a state delegation to Washington, D.C., over the summer to meet with top U.S. transportation officials about federal funding for California's ports.

The port has secured more than $640 million in state and federal grant funding for Pier B and continues to seek additional funding.

Mario Cordero, the port's CEO, said the grant will have a "staggering" impact on the project.

"This is a facility that will help move cargo more efficiently to homes and businesses across America, and from U.S. producers to overseas markets, resulting in systemwide benefits to the supply chain," Cordero said.

Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson said the Pier B Rail project "will improve the Port of Long Beach's sustainability and efficiency, bringing us up to 35% on-dock rail capacity in our terminals and improving the air quality for our residents."