CN building transload center, intermodal yard in Prince George
Canadian National Railway Co. said it will construct a C$20-million ($17.3 million) transload operation and intermodal rail terminal in Prince George, British Columbia, for the export of containerized products to and from Asia through the new container terminal at the Port of Prince Rupert.
CN’s transload facility is expected to open in the fall, to coincide with the completion of the first phase of Prince Rupert’s expansion, and will include an 84,000-square-foot warehouse and 10 acres of outside storage. It will load containers with products arriving at the facility by rail or truck. The loaded containers will then be lifted onto railway flatcars at CN’s new adjacent intermodal rail yard, and daily service will be offered from this terminal to the Port of Prince Rupert.
Prince George is situated 500 miles east of Prince Rupert, and is in close proximity to the state’s large fiber reserves and other natural resources. It is also CN’s divisional headquarters and main operations hub in northern B.C.
“The Prince George facility is ideally located to tap backhaul export opportunities, filling empty containers moving to Asia via Prince Rupert with lumber, panels, wood pulp and paper, as well as ores, plastics and some metals products,” said Peter Marshall, CN’s senior vice-president, Western Region.
“It will help CN maximize revenue potential generated from the new terminal at Prince Rupert, and create new economic and employment opportunities in northern B.C.”