Direct rail service from Vancouver to Detroit launched

Leveraging CP’s newest transload facility in Vancouver and its innovative live-lift operation at Portal, North Dakota to accelerate cross-border shipments, this new service can cut transit times from the West Coast to Detroit by as much as 48 hours.

“We’ve worked hard to reshape our footprint in the Vancouver area to improve efficiency and boost capacity for our customers,” said John Brooks, CP Senior Vice-President and Chief Marketing Officer. “And now, with our live-lift operation in Portal, we can expedite service and truly exploit the strengths of our network to provide unparalleled service and value in the Vancouver-to-Detroit lane.”

CP’s new service runs from Vancouver to Detroit seven days a week.

“CP recognises our customers’ need to get their goods to the key markets of the U.S. as efficiently as possible,” added Hardy Pearson, Senior Vice-President for the Midwest and Northeast for shipping company, Hapag-Lloyd. “Simply put, shorter transit times, a more fluid border crossing and near seamless movement through Chicago means not only lower costs but better, more consistent access to the right markets.”

The new up-and-running Vancouver transload operation is in an optimal location, co-located at CP’s carload and intermodal facility. It allows CP to utilise rail for movements between terminals and ports where others must rely on trucks, reducing traffic congestion in the Vancouver area and resulting in a lower cost, environmentally friendly, strategic advantage.

CP has successfully started live-lift operations (see below) at the Portal border crossing, with the new service allowing the companyto lift single containers off of trains for inspection by customs authorities rather than having entire intermodal railcars – which can carry up to 15 containers – held up.

This eliminates delays to containers not flagged for inspection, making it easier and faster for customers to do cross-border business in a lane where CP already offers the fastest transit times between Vancouver and the Twin Cities, Chicago and beyond.