CN, CPR to work together at Port of Vancouver

CN, CPR to work together at Port of Vancouver    Canadian National Railway Co. and Canadian Pacific Railway have signed an agreement designed to improve services at the Port of Vancouver, British Columbia.
   The agreement includes a series of operational initiatives, expected to begin in March, to improve the flow of freight to and from the port by operating direct-to-destination trains that bypass yards and eliminating railway-to-railway handoffs. It will also extend the railways’ existing directional running zone in the Fraser Canyon west to the Gateway ports and terminals.
   As part of the agreement:
   * CPR will handle all trains of both railways from Boston Bar, 60 kilometers north of Hope, B.C., and 200 kilometers from Vancouver, to Vancouver’s South Shore using CPR train crews. CPR will also improve the coordination of train movements and will switch all traffic into and out of terminals on Burrard Inlet South Shore.
   * CN will handle all trains of both railways from Boston Bar to Burrard Inlet North Shore in Vancouver using CN crews. CN will also improve the coordination of traffic switched into and out of terminals on the North Shore.
   * CPR will also handle coal trains of both railways from Boston Bar to the Roberts Bank coal port, helping improve efficiency for coal terminal operator, Westshore Terminals.
   CN and CPR have an existing directional 240-kilometer zone extending west of Ashcroft to Mission, B.C., in the Fraser Canyon. All westbound trains of both railways operate over the CN line, and all eastbound trains of both railways operate over the CPR line.
   “This is a smart approach to managing rail capacity at a time of substantial growth in Canada’s trade volumes with Pacific Rim countries,” said Ed Harris, CN’s executive vice-president, operations. “It will enhance the fluidity and capacity of both railroads in Vancouver, and deliver better service to our port and terminal partners, while ensuring healthy rail competition between CN and CPR is maintained at the Port of Vancouver.”
   “By enhancing service as the Pacific Gateway ports and terminals expand, we are sending a powerful message along the supply chain that coordination and cooperation are critical levers for growth,” said Fred Green, president and chief operating officer of CPR.