This document discusses the Memphis metro intermodal facility and its impact on rural communities. It provides population, income, and demographic statistics for counties in Tennessee and Mississippi affected by the facility. The facility opened five months early and reached its projected volume of 300,000 lifts within four years. Over 3.5 million square feet of additional construction is underway and more development is planned. The implications are that the facility generates rural jobs, brings economic development more quickly than expected, and works as a model for other rural areas that pursue intermodal facilities.