Plus, Levin said Union Pacific built some of the infrastructure itself.



Trains will not have to stop and wait an hour or more for the track to be switched manually so they can enter the port. The switch will be done electronically making the job more efficient and, for Union Pacific, less expensive.



Any company that ships a product has to deal with transportation costs.



The Port of Tucson is an international, inland port that can handle containers that come from ships, trains and trucks. Levin said the port can do it all less expensively than other ports.



In other words, why process your cargo from Singapore at Long Beach, California, when you can come to Tucson and do it here for less.



Levin said that's very attractive to a company trying to cut shipping costs.



Here's how Levin said all of this translates into more companies, meaning more jobs, in Tucson.



"As they're doing their analysis as to where they should locate their new business or for a local business to expand, where they expand that business, they're going to choose the place that makes the most financial sense. With the lower cost for transportation here, both internationally and domestically, we see that as being a big checkmark that the site selectors and other companies can come in and actually say, Tucson's the place, Southern Arizona is the place to locate," Levin said.



The Port of Tucson will unveil the new infrastructure Thursday with Union Pacific and local, county and federal officials in attendance.