Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Final Report
September, 2006
Project Objectives:
The overall objective of this project is to conduct an opportunity assessment for an intermodal
container facility in Kamloops. This assessment includes a succinct literature review, a small
scale and general survey of intermodal reload facilities in the region, and an analysis of the
potential of developing a container facility in Kamloops. The supporting objectives include the
following:
There are a number of possible locations for such a facility in Kamloops. The parcels
considered in this opportunity assessment all have either direct rail access or require a minimal
amount of additional rail infrastructure. However, some of the parcels may be ruled out,
depending on the volume of containers, the type of products, warehousing capacities, and other
services the facility decides to offer.
Based on research findings and current reload activities in Kamloops, the best opportunity may
be a mixed-use facility. This mixed-use facility would include lumber reload from truck-to-rail car
for North American markets, and put lumber into containers for export markets through the ports
of Vancouver and Prince Rupert.
Usually, intermodal facilities on their own are not high generators of employment, but providing
value-added services at the facility could generate employment and attract larger export-
oriented manufacturers. Many factors affect the level of skilled and general labour required,
such as the types of value-added services offered, the volume moved through the facility, and
operating hours. Regardless, such a facility requires a wide range of jobs at different skill levels,
including senior and middle management, clerical, security, supervisors, maintenance workers,
truck drivers, and skilled labour.
# People
Activity Per shift Responsibility
• Reduce the numbers of heavy transport trucks on the Trans-Canada Highway travelling
between the Rockies and the Lower Mainland, resulting in significant savings in highway
maintenance and rehabilitation costs
• Provide another option for shippers to get their export products to port
• Increase capacity and efficiency of the Vancouver Port
• Reduce shipping costs for local manufacturing companies for both commodity and
export products
• Be a unique selling point for attracting manufacturing companies to Kamloops
• Create jobs in the region as a result of expanding the freight, intermodal, and distribution
industry in Kamloops
• Attract investment in the transportation infrastructure of Kamloops from railways, private
industry, and senior levels of government.
• Rail Cooperation and Buy-in: To encourage intermodal trains to stop in Kamloops to pick
up containers cars and drop off empty containers, Kamloops has to present a business
case to the railways proving that the extra time and costs of providing this switching
service will be recovered through increased business.
• Access to Empty Containers: Container owners will have to be matched with container
customers so the facility can access the right containers from the right shipping lines.
Tioga Group (2002) identified five key factors that hinder the ability to access empty
containers. They include: import/export timing or location mismatch; ownership
Next Steps:
There is a solid opportunity for an inland intermodal container facility in Kamloops. While the
objective of Venture Kamloops was to investigate the opportunity, industry partners will actually
develop the opportunity. If viable, a leadership organization such as Venture Kamloops can
provide facilitation, identify industry partners, and access land and government grants. To
realize such a facility, the following steps are necessary:
• An industry Steering Group from the people surveyed in this report should be brought
together. This group should plan, partner, and promote the inland intermodal container
facility in Kamloops.
• Ongoing research and discussions will be required throughout this planning phase with
the Vancouver Port Authority, shipping lines, railways, industry, and other stakeholders
to ensure that the project provides benefits, efficiencies, and impacts the productivity of
all logistical aspects that are involved in the movement of containerized commodities.
• A clear understanding regarding the relationship between shipper, container owner, and
steamship line is essential to access empty containers and to fit into the logistical
formula.
• The Steering Group will determine which type of intermodal facility is the best fit for their
needs and the needs of Kamloops based on technical and marketing considerations.
This Steering Group may also become the core nucleus of investors and customers.
• The Steering Group will develop a business case to present to CN and CP, as well as
other stakeholders, for their cooperation and buy-in.
Acknowledgements ......................................................................................................... v
Appendices ................................................................................................................... 40
Appendix “A”: Glossary of Intermodal Terms ............................................................... 41
Appendix “B”: Container Companies and Port Authorities............................................ 55
These facts are the impetus for the community of Kamloops to respond to the
anticipated growth and explore the possibility of an intermodal container facility in
its strategic economic development plans. There are also many other reasons to
explore such an opportunity. Intermodal facilities provide an opportunity for small
communities to diversify its infrastructure, transportation rates, and transportation
equipment resource base to attract and to grow value-added ventures. The
manufacturing sectors in the community of Kamloops have said that without
competitive rail container intermodal services, shippers in smaller communities
will remain at a logistical disadvantage. Many industries are affected by the lack
of intermodal services including: agricultural processors, manufacturers,
commodity producers, building suppliers, and retailers. This gap in infrastructure
negatively impacts the entire province's economy through higher shipping costs.
Inland intermodal container facilities have the potential to give small interior
communities equal access to Canada’s export markets.
Intermodal facilities occur when two or more modes of transportation meet for the
purpose of exchanging cargo directly or through intermediate storage. An
intermodal facility requires the necessary space and equipment to receive cargo
by one mode of transportation and ship it out by a different mode. In between the
inbound and outbound movement, the cargo may be consolidated with other
incoming cargo of the same type, separated into smaller outbound shipments, or
directly transferred between two modes as part of a seamless intermodal
shipment. Intermodal container facilities are special types of intermodal terminals
and are usually associated with overseas shipments.
Kamloops, because of its location and infrastructure of roads and rail, offers a
unique opportunity for an intermodal system and intermodal container facility.
This facility could offer trans-shipment, storage, or custom facilities for
containerized, break-bulk, and bulk cargo moving by rail. Kamloops could be the
best situated intermodal facility given its location on the Trans-Canada and
Yellowhead highways and with the line-haul efficiency of both Canadian National
(CN) and Canadian Pacific (CP) railways. Kamloops also recognizes the value of
an intermodal container facility to its regional companies in generating profits,
creating value, and improving their regional and international competitiveness.
2. Identifying and interviewing the key decision (local and regional) makers from
the operations and marketing departments of CN and CP railways, as well as the
port authorities in Vancouver and the Lower Mainland.
6. From the research conducted, identify the opportunities for Kamloops and
develop recommendations that will move the opportunity forward.
1. Freight traffic generators are places where cargo is produced for shipment
or where cargo is received for subsequent use. Because virtually any place of
business could be regarded as a freight traffic generator, transportation planners
are generally only concerned with major generators. These may be defined as
places that ship or receive such large volumes of freight that they include
extensive facilities for loading, unloading, and storing cargo. These places may
even have their own in-plant railroad, pipeline, or roadway networks connecting
them to the intercity modal networks.
The three characteristics that differentiate the types of intermodal terminals are:
• the pairs of modes which the terminal directly or indirectly connects,
• the types of cargo or the specific commodities which the terminal handles,
and
• the types of intermodal transfers for which the terminal is designed (direct,
short-term storage, or long-term storage).
• TOFC/COFC terminals;
• automobiles and other finished vehicles at vehicle terminals;
• dry and liquid bulk cargoes at bulk trans-loading facilities;
• break-bulk commodities such as lumber, steel, and paper products at
numerous public warehouses, distribution centers, and other reload
facilities;
• grain is transferred between truck and rail, truck and water, or rail and
water at thousands of grain elevators and other grain-handling facilities;
and
• petroleum products and other liquid bulk commodities such as chemicals,
vegetable oils, and molasses are gathered and distributed by intermodal
at hundreds of tank farms and other liquid bulk terminals and storage
facilities.
3. Dry bulk – Dry bulk freight consists of loose, granular, or free-flowing dry
cargo that is shipped in bulk rather than in packaged form. Examples of
commodities that are often transported in dry bulk form include coal, grain,
ores, wood chips, fertilizers, plastic pellets, cement, potash, and slag.
Most of these commodities could be containerized for transport, and they
often are when shipped in small quantities. However, these commodities
usually move in such large volumes that, in most cases, it is more efficient
and much easier to transfer them between modes when they are in bulk
form.
4. Liquid bulk – Liquid bulk freight is liquid cargo shipped in bulk rather than
in containers. Crude oil, agricultural, and industrial liquid chemicals are
commonly shipped in large volumes in liquid bulk form. These
commodities may be moved in drums and tank containers as either break-
bulk or containerized freight. Like dry bulk, these commodities can be
transferred between modes more easily and efficiently when they are
shipped in large volumes in bulk form.
(iii) Types of Transfer: Freight doesn’t generally get transferred directly from
one mode of transportation to another; containers are usually stacked on the
ground before being hauled away. Most intermodal terminals provide equipment
for direct transfer, as well as facilities for storage.
1. Direct transfer – Examples include containers lifted off a ship and placed
directly on double-stack railcars and trucks dumping sand or gravel
directly into a barge.
2. Short-term storage transfer – In this case, cargo arrives on the incoming
mode, is unloaded and stored for a relatively short period of time on a
platform or loading dock. It is then loaded into and hauled away by the
outgoing mode.
3. Long-term storage transfer – Two types of long-term storage transfer
occur. 1) Consolidation: the incoming cargo arrives by a mode whose
cargo-carrying capacity is lower than that of the outgoing mode; 2)
Distribution: the arriving mode is of relatively higher capacity than the
departing mode or modes. The cargo is unloaded into a warehouse,
storage tank, silo, or other storage facility and gradually distributed within
the locality or larger region.
1. Trailer-on-flatcar/Container-on-flatcar Terminals
Trailer-on-flatcar/container-on-flatcar (TOFC/COFC) terminals are places where
either containers, highway trailers, or both are transferred between trucks and
railroads. The containers and trailers may be directly transferred or they may be
set on the ground for a short period before being loaded and hauled away.
Outside of a port facility, this type of terminal is more closely associated with the
notion of intermodal facilities.
2. Auto Terminals
These terminals are where finished vehicles such as automobiles, light trucks,
jeeps, and vans are transferred between different modes of transportation.
6. Grain Terminals
Grain terminals are facilities where one or more type of grain is either stored or
where grain is directly transferred between different modes of transportation.
Most grain terminals are devoted solely to the storage and trans-shipment of this
commodity, although a few also handle other dry bulk cargo such as feeds,
agricultural seeds, meal, and flour and other products made from grain.
An inland container facility is a facility that offers services for handling and
temporary storage of import/export laden and empty containers. Trans-shipment
of cargo can also take place at such stations and includes stuffing and de-stuffing
of containers for consolidation or segregation of cargo. Generally, these facilities
are where containers are aggregated for onward movement to or from ports and
are generally located outside the ports’ towns.
An inland container facility can range from a simple and relatively inexpensive
loading facility using circus ramps, to a high-cost operation involving gantry or
overhead cranes that allow for fast train loading and off-loading. The cost of a
facility is determined by the equipment needed, “trackage,” amount of land, and
labour associated with the size and volume of the facility.
The establishment of these facilities remote from the port avoids the need for
empty containers to be returned to the port for processing, which reduces costs
and traffic congestion at the port. These depots also improve the efficiency of
road and rail supply chains.
Operating Areas:
For the inland container facility to be successful, a prime criterion is that it reduce
total transport costs, since there is the possibility of a marginal increase in total
handling cost per box on origin to destination basis. A feasibility study must be
done prior to setting up an inland container facility and researchers should
conduct discussions with exporters, shipping lines (since they control most of the
containers), freight forwarders, port authorities, etc.
The traffic flows between inland container facilities and ports need to be analyzed
with reference to commodities, directional split (imports or exports), proportion of
less-than-full container load and full container load, forecast of future growth,
modes of transport available, possible reduction in tonne per kilometre, and box
per kilometre cost.
The facility needs to be economically viable for the owners and attractive to the
users. It must also satisfy railway requirements for train load movements and
improve seaport operations and efficiencies. In other parts of the world,
successfully operating inland container facilities have an average of 6,000
twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) per year flow through their facility and are
located on a minimum of three acres.
Equipment required for loading and unloading containers onto rail cars and truck
chassis include large land-based container gantry cranes, straddle cranes, side-
loaders, and reach-stackers. Straddle cranes can operate on fixed rails or be
rubber tired and can span one or more rail tracks, whereas side-loaders and
reach-stackers are much smaller and resemble oversized forklifts.
• The growth of container trades and the limits on waterfront land mean that
ports have had to design their facilities and operations to focus on
throughput, which is the fast loading and unloading of ships and the fast
movement of containers on and off the terminal. Stuffing and de-stuffing
containers has moved off dock and rail-loading facilities are no longer
considered adjacent to the port cranes. The storage of empty containers is
held to a minimum. Where should such activities go and what factors
influence their location? In general the answer is inland, where land
values are less and where locations for the storage of empty containers
close to importers and exporters are possible. (Heaver 2004)
• “As the inland port at Front Royal demonstrates, it is not necessary that
such facilities be located in urban areas with large local populations. In
fact, rural locations may offer important advantages. First, the lack of local
roadway congestion reduces overall transportation times and cost. In
addition, cost attractive land is often available, making initial construction
and future expansion highly attractive. While these inland ports improve
transportation efficiencies, they also serve as economic magnets, drawing
commerce to the surrounding region.” (Bonderud 1988)
• “Trains are two to three times less polluting than trucks handling
equivalent loads. It takes approximately 280 trucks to transport the same
amount of cargo carried by one intermodal train.” (VICA 2006)
• “Inland intermodal facilities will ensure that Vancouver Port will remain
economically competitive and efficient for decades to come with other
ports such as Seattle, Tacoma, Portland, Oakland, Long Beach and Los
Angeles.” (Peter Xotta, In interview, 2006)
• Ports want to increase container capacity; they do not want to store empty
containers. The money is in the movement of the containers, not in the
storage of the containers. They want to achieve 1.5 days of turnaround
time.
• Kamloops will have to work out logistical issues, such as stopping the
trains, accessing empty containers, and finding sufficient volume to load
into containers.
• Steamship lines want to keep the empties in Asia, not in Canada, because
of costs. For example steamship lines only make $600 on a backhaul
container from Canada to Asia while they make $2,000 on a full container
from Asia to Canada.
• Transportation prices for pulp and lumber are driven by trade markets.
Therefore, shipping to Asia is expensive and varies according to markets,
while shipping from Asia to Canada remains consistent.
• Ninety percent of pulp and lumber are going to Asian markets, and 10% to
the US. Future growth in export commodities will be in fuel, oil, and wood
pellets.
In June of 2006, an inland container terminal was opened in Richmond, PQ. The
project was under development for six years and required CN Rail support, local
government buy-in, and a group of dedicated individuals. The company has a
five-year lease and operates on behalf of the city. The city has assumed all the
risk.
The facility is uniquely positioned on the main CN route from Boston to Montreal.
Since Boston is a net importer of containers, there are more empties located
there than can be filled (10 full containers arrive, and only eight are filled for
export). As a result, the empty containers are repositioned to Montreal and pass
directly through Richmond.
The facility has grown from its original plans. In addition to a 40,000 square foot
warehouse with storage for four rail cars inside, they have a 12,800 square foot
cross-docking warehouse, which can hold two rail cars. Interior rail car storage
was deemed necessary due to the severity of the winters. They have a truck-
The facility in located on 5.3 acres and can expand to 8 acres. It can handle up to
12 containers per day, and can house two three-pack container cars on each of
its three rail sidings. Empty containers from Boston are dropped off at the yard,
and any full containers are picked up and moved to Montreal. The facility
currently has between one and 10 empty containers dropped off per day. Sixty
percent of their business is container stuffing, while the remaining forty percent is
reloading between truck and rail.
The operators believe there are two core keys to success: 1) Be on a line from an
unbalanced export container market, and 2) Have enough track and storage
space. Apparently, at least four other Eastern Canadian cities, including Moncton
and Fredericton, are looking at putting in small intermodal terminals, but M. Julien
did not think these cities have Richmond’s advantages.
Customers include Armstrong Pellets from BC, which ships product to Eastern
Canada in a box car where it often suffers considerable package breakage.
Because of this breakage, the Richmond facility is in the process of putting in a
bagging line to repackage damaged product. This value-added facility has come
about as a result of the facility first being used as a trans-load (box car to truck)
facility for Armstrong Pellets. Richmond has also been approached by a company
to put in a plastic pellet packaging line, and are working through the details on
delivery methods (suction or gravity). Other products handled by the facility
include lumber and pulp, and they are in the process of negotiating with Domtar
to handle the bulk of their pulp reload and stuffing.
M. Julien is prepared to share their initial business plan, but cautions it is not
what they ended up implementing. Infrastructure Canada provided information on
the initial facility development, which included the 40,000 square foot warehouse,
2.5 kms of new track, office and out-buildings, the truck-mobile, and training:
Project Costs
Project Timelines
Timber Trax estimates that four B-trains of lumber is equivalent to nine 40-foot
containers and the cost to stuff containers in Vancouver is around $250.
North America is a net importer of finished goods, which are coming in containers
from Europe and Asia. As a result, Canadians commodities producers such as
lumber, pulp, and grain have taken advantages of the availability of “backhaul”
empty containers to ship their products to overseas export markets.
Imported commodities arrive by ship and are placed on the ground at the ports.
Direct ship-to-rail and direct ship-to-truck loadings are virtually impossible
because the unloading order from the ship does not match the optimal order
loading for the train or waiting trucks. Within the port region, containers are
distributed by truck to either their final destination or to a redistribution facility.
Outside the region, the imports are typically delivered by truck over short and
medium distances, while rail lines move the majority of imports over longer
distances. There is limited de-stuffing at the ports and as a result, most of the de-
stuffing occurs at separate facilities in Richmond, Burnaby, Coquitlam, and
Surrey. Land at these locations is less expensive and they are proximal to the
ports of Vancouver and Delta, CN and CP intermodal yards, as well as final
consumer markets.
After the containers have been emptied of imported goods, the containers are
typically sent to a location to be cleaned, repaired, and stored until pick up for
refilling. The empty container storage yards are best located near ports and
intermodal rail yards, as well as stuffing and de-stuffing locations. The storage
yards represent one corner on a distribution triangle; the other two points are port
terminals and stuffing/de-stuffing facilities. For the most part, empty containers
are transported by truck to stuffing facilities, which can be 10 miles or more away.
Over the past four years, the volume of break-bulk forest products from BC,
including lumber and pulp, have declined due to an overall reduction in the total
exports of these products and the increased use of containers for shipping. The
products that are most containerized are forest products and the main trading
partners are China, Japan, and Taiwan. However, volumes still remain high and
the largest commodity volume that is containerized in the Lower Mainland for
exports through the Port of Vancouver is wood pulp.
The largest producers of pulp in BC send their pulp in bales by box car to storage
and warehouse facilities in the Lower Mainland. Unlike pulp, most of the lumber
producers in BC truck their product to the Lower Mainland. In both cases, the
product is warehoused until a customer order is placed and product lines are
consolidated based on order particulars. Once the order is placed, the
warehouse facility dispatches a truck to the shipping line yard to pick up one of
their empty containers. This empty container is then moved back to the
warehouse facility where the order is consolidated and the container is stuffed.
Once the container is filled, the truck then returns to the ship yard for drop-off.
Variations on this scenario can occur if the shipping line’s empty containers are
stored at a site other than the ship yard (these are empty container storage
yards), the container is damaged, or a third party operates the trucking.
Since different mills owned by the same company can produce different product
lines, a central order consolidation point is important. These storage and
warehouse facilities are now located close to the ports to quickly meet customer
demand and ease logistical decision making. This presents a challenge to a
potential intermodal terminal in Kamloops; there is a mindset that closer to the
ports is better because of logistical economics and ease and customer timing of
orders. Also, outside the Lower Mainland, value-added services, such as access
to empty containers, repositioning empty containers, container repair and
maintenance, warehousing, and container stuffing/de-stuffing, are currently not
available.
Both CN and CP mainlines move through Kamloops and both switch their crews
in Kamloops. See Table 1 for location and contact information for local rail offices
in Kamloops. The crew change is important because it means the trains,
including the intermodal trains, are stopping in Kamloops. CN’s rail line runs from
Jasper, Alberta through Kamloops on the east side of the North Thompson River
and crosses over at Halston on the north side of the South Thompson River and
continues north of Kamloops Lake to Ashcroft. A branch line operated by
Okanagan Railways runs south of Halston towards Kelowna.
CP Rail moves from Calgary, Alberta through Revelstoke, BC, runs on the south
side of the South Thompson River, passes through downtown Kamloops, and
continues on the south side of Kamloops Lake to Ashcroft. It is possible to switch
cars from the CN line to the CP line just west of 10th Avenue in downtown
Kamloops. This ability to switch between the two rail lines increases the flexibility
of the transportation network and the likelihood of products originating in
Kamloops to move by rail.
Locally CN picks up 50 freight rail cars per day from the Kamloops area. There
are 28 to 36 trains passing through Kamloops’ CN rail yard everyday of which
eight are intermodal trains up to 12,000 feet in length. CN’s main customers in
The number of CP trains that pass through Kamloops is 36 per day, of which 12
are intermodal trains. The maximum length of CP intermodal trains is 7,000 feet,
which is approximately 250 40-foot containers. CP’s maximum line capacity is
only 40 trains per day with the given line capabilities. The largest product
volumes that move through Kamloops via CP are wood pulp and lumber destined
for the US and for export through the Port of Vancouver.
A box car loaded at Weyerhaeuser in Kamloops takes three days to reach the
docks in Vancouver. Forest products such as lumber, pulp, and paper are the
main product lines that are transported from Kamloops. CPR’s domestic
intermodal freight is serviced through door-to-door and directly to the retailer.
The Arrow and Tolko reload centres take lumber from truck and load rail cars in
Kamloops. These rail cars are destined for domestic (Canadian and US) markets.
An intermodal container facility in Kamloops could focus on exports going
through Ports in Western Canada; the existing reload operations are
complementary, not competitive, and will help provide a comprehensive logistical
service to local industry. These reload centres are also closely linked to
businesses involved in trucking product to the coast for export in containers.
They have expressed interest in an inland container facility in Kamloops.
Arrow Reload
Arrow loads and ships 300 rail cars per month, which is equivalent to 110,000
board feet of lumber per car. All of these rail cars are destined to North American
markets with 80% going through Chicago and Minneapolis. The westbound, or
lumber destined to overseas markets, are trucked by Super Bs to container
stuffing facilities in the Lower Mainland. On average, Arrow sends seven Super-
Bs per day from Kamloops; it takes two Super-Bs to fill three containers. Arrow
has looked at container stuffing facilities in Kamloops, and is again in the process
of developing a business case. Arrow estimates that there are 180,000 empty
containers passing through Kamloops every year. Arrow reload customers
include Weyerhaeuser sawmill, Canoe, Adams Lake Lumber, Canfor, and
Highland Valley Copper.
Arrow Reload Centre sends 4,000 cars per year eastbound and none go to the
coast. According to CP, Weyerhaeuser sends about 7,000 cars per year, again
mostly eastbound, except the pulp, which is 90% westbound. Ninety-eight
percent of westbound pulp goes by rail; the remaining 2% goes by truck.
Westbound lumber (i.e., going for export) is shipped to the coast by truck
because of good backhaul rates, and efficient timelines.
Weyerhaeuser moves a lot of the lumber it produces through the Arrow Reload
Centre to North American markets. Lumber produced in Kamloops, as well as the
eight Weyerhaeuser mills in Canada, which is destined for overseas markets,
passes through Kamloops on trucks to stuffing and consolidation facilities in the
Lower Mainland and is loaded on ships at Vanterm, Centerm, and Delta Port.
Ten million board feet of lumber is exported per year through Vancouver.
Containerization of lumber products for Weyerhaeuser is mostly done by a
company called S & R in Langley, BC.
Eighty percent of pulp products produced at the Kamloops mill are shipped by rail
cars to Vancouver for overseas markets. The Weyerhaeuser plant in Kamloops
has two mills. Mill “A” produces 4 to 5 car loads per day while Mill “B” produces
12 to 14 cars per day. In total, the two mills produce 1350 tons per day which are
transported to Vancouver. Adjacent to their mill, they have a 10,000 tonne
warehouse capacity which is used if there are product quality problems or there
are not enough rail cars. Weyerhaeuser has an agreement with CP that no more
than 10% of product is allowed to move by truck; however, only 3 to 5% of pulp
products are shipped by truck. CP provides three switches per day and an
average of nine cars per switch. Not all of the pulp is containerized; 57% of pulp
The Weyerhaeuser pulp mill has looked at a container stuffing facility at their mill,
but faces a number of logistical challenges.
• One container holds 25 tons of pulp and so far this year (September)
3,000 containers have been used. Therefore, a lot of land and warehouse
space is required and they do not have an adequate amount near their
mill.
• As with lumber, all pulp products from different mills are consolidated in a
central Vancouver warehouse where all customer orders are placed and
built with different product lines and particulars.
Mercer International
West and Kawamura (2004) indicated that questions of location for intermodal
facilities need much wider consideration, including their relationship not only to
the main line rails, but to the local community, the city and region, warehousing
facilities, specific industries, and general industrial concentrations of the region,
and other modes of freight such as ports, airports, and the highways. Keeping
these location criteria in mind, there are four sites outside of the Kamloops
border, but within a 50 km radius of the city, that may be suitable for an
intermodal facility or intermodal container facility.
Of the sites identified within Kamloops, two of them are large enough to
accommodate virtually any type of intermodal container facility now and in the
future. These sites are located north and south of Halston Rd on CN Rail. CN has
clear title over most of the land that its track covers, and the single yard site is
leased from the Kamloops Indian Band (KIB). The land north of Halston on either
side of the track, which is KIB reserve land, is almost entirely vacant, while south
of Halston, there is substantial industrial development and some residential
areas. These lands are ideal and have the most potential for intermodal container
facility development since they are flat, easily accessed from the highways, and
the main CN rail switching yards and crew changing also occurs there.
The Mission Flats area, both the city yard and the vacant land near
Weyerhaeuser, are not suitable due to its proximity to the river, size,
configuration, and environmental issues. The vacant industrial land near the
Kamloops Airport is sufficiently large enough to accommodate a container facility,
however it may be best used as a trans-load or trans-shipment site, or a small
customer-specific intermodal operation. Ideally, the largest parcel of land should
be selected as it maximizes the flexibility of the intermodal facility, and allows for
future expansion and diversification of other services to offset market
fluctuations, rail rates, fuel costs, and environmental requirements.
The best intermodal container scenario depends on the types of products, the
volume expected, and any value-added services offered. Inland container
facilities have been built on as little as one acre, and some occur on over 200
acres. Considerations should include:
• not having to back the train in and out;
• sufficient flat land easily accessed from the highway;
• the land on the either side of the track should be wide enough to load and
unload containers easily from the train; and
• there should be land located nearby that can allow for storage of empty
and full containers and potential warehouses.
The volumes generated in Kamloops are predominately pulp and lumber and a
facility handling these products is most probable for Kamloops. Other products
should be considered such as wood pellets from manufacturers in Prince
George, Quesnel, and Armstrong—communities that all have strong markets in
Europe. Fruit and wine from the Okanagan, cat litter from Western Industrial
Clay, and speciality grains should be further investigated as possible products for
a Kamloops intermodal container facility.
The pulp destined for export markets will require warehousing, and the
intermodal facility should be able to provide consolidation and container stuffing
for customer specific requirements. The facility should also contain maintenance,
preparation, and storage of empty containers, and have the ability to add a
Research findings indicate that the main opportunities in Kamloops for such a
facility will come from lumber and pulp products. Large volumes of these
products already originate in, or pass through, Kamloops either on truck or
regular rail cars to points in the Lower Mainland for consolidation,
containerization, and export.
Main lumber and pulp volumes originating in Kamloops and some volume
passing through Kamloops are indicated in Table 4. These potential volumes are
not commitments, but an indication of the market sizes that Kamloops intermodal
container facility maybe able to access.
Many factors affect the level of skilled and general labour required, such as the
types of value-added services offered, the volume moved through the facility, and
operating hours. Regardless, a wide range of jobs at different skill levels would
be required and include senior and middle management, clerical, security,
supervisors, maintenance workers, truck drivers, and skilled labour. The table
below gives an outline of the types and number of jobs that would be required at
a container facility.
Usually intermodal facilities on their own are not high generators of employment,
but providing value-added services will create jobs and attract larger export-
oriented manufacturers.
# People
Activity Per shift Responsibility
7.5 Challenges
Challenges of Logistics
Another challenge is that customers can transport higher volumes on a rail car
versus a container. For example, a box car can hold 85 tons versus 25 tons in a
40-foot container. Since there may not necessarily be any cost advantage to
warehouse, consolidate, stuff, and ship containers in Kamloops versus the Lower
Mainland, a reason to switch may only occur when the capacity of facilities in the
Lower Mainland is exceeded and need for developing other facilities further
inland becomes critical. Unless, of course, there are incentives offered by the
shipping companies, rail lines, container terminals, or the government.
It is incumbent upon Kamloops to garner and retain support for this facility from
all local industry and manufacturers, as well as key customers, such as
Weyerhaeuser, Tolko, Mercer, and Arrow.
• An industry Steering Group from the people surveyed in this report should
be brought together. This group should plan, partner, and promote the
inland intermodal container facility in Kamloops.
• The Steering Group will determine which type of intermodal facility is the
best fit for their needs and the needs of Kamloops based on technical and
marketing considerations. This Steering Group may also become the core
nucleus of investors and customers.
Intermodal Glossary:
http://www.intermodal.org/statistics_files/Intermodal%20Glossary.html
Jones, C. & Rowat, Bill. 2003. A Case for Investment in Rail and Intermodal
Transport. Policy Options.
Rodrigue, Dr. Jean-Paul, Dr. Brian Slack and Dr. Claude Comtois, Intermodal
Transportation,
http://people.hofstra.edu/geotrans/eng/ch3en/conc3en/ch3c5en.html
West, Norm & Kawarmura, K. 2004. Location, design and operation of future
Intermodal rail yards: a survey. University of Illinois, Chicago.
The Port & Operations. Delta Port – Robert Banks, site accessed 06/07/2006
http://www.portvancouver.com
Availability Time
The time equipment is grounded and available for pick-up by the customer.
Back Haul
Traffic for the return movement of a car or container towards the point where the initial load
originated or to handle a shipment in the direction of the light flow of traffic.
Bad Order
A freight car loaded improperly, mechanically defective, or has safety violations.
Beneficial Owner
The actual owner of the lading that is being shipped. The IMC negotiates transportation services
and rates on behalf of the beneficial owner.
Bill of Lading
A shipping form which is both a receipt for property and a contract for delivery of goods by a carrier.
The principal bills of lading are: Straight A non-negotiable document. Surrender of the original is not
required upon delivery of the freight unless necessary to identify consignee. Order A negotiable
document. Surrender of the original property endorsed is required by transportation lines upon
delivery of the freight, in accordance with its terms. Clean Either a Straight or Order Bill of Lading in
which the transportation company acknowledges receipt of the property without noting any
exceptions as to shortage or damage to the property received. Exchange A bill of lading which is
given in exchange for another. Export One given to cover a shipment consigned to some foreign
country. Government A special form of bill of lading which is used in making shipments for the
account of the United States Government.
Block
A group of railcars destined to the same location.
Blocking or Bracing
Wood or metal or other approved supports to keep shipments in place in or on railcars, containers
and trailers.
Bobtail
Motor Carrier slang indicating a non-revenue movement without a trailer or container attached.
Bonded Warehouse
A warehouse owned by persons approved by the Treasury Department, an under bond or
guarantee for the strict observance of the revenue laws; utilized for storing goods until duties are
paid or goods are otherwise properly released.
Bridge Move
A railroad movement involving at least three roadhaul carriers at which the IP is neither the first or
last carrier.
Broker
An individual who acts as an agent for a customer, who is attempting to route a car to a customer in
Mexico or Canada. Equipment destined to a locale in Mexico is billed only to the border. At that
time a broker, in cooperation with a broker in Mexico, prepares the proper paperwork which allows
the car to cross the border and proceed to its destination.
Bulk Transfer
Transfer of bulk material, both dry and liquid, between modes of transport
Car Scheduling
A system of assigning a "trip plan" that is based primarily on waybill data. Cars are scheduled to the
first available train that may carry the specific type of traffic into which they are categorized.
Cartage
Pick up or delivery of freight within commercial zone of a city by local carrier acting as agent for a
shipper or over-the-rail carrier.
Chassis
A rubber-tired trailer under-frame on which a container is mounted for street or highway transport.
Circus Ramp
Stationary or portable end loading/unloading ramp which requires a truck tractor to drive a trailer
onto or off of rail flatcars.
Claims
A demand, supported by evidence, to show that the claimant has sustained a loss through the
negligence of a carrier. The principal kinds are: Damage Claim due to physical injury to shipment
Clearance
The limiting dimensions of a rail shipment that would allow/prevent its clearing of tunnels and
bridges.
Common Carrier
A transportation line engaged in the business of handling persons or goods for compensation and
for all persons impartially.
Connecting Carrier
A carrier that has a direct physical connection with another or forming a connecting link between
two or more carriers.
Consignee
The individual or organization to which freight is shipped. Freight is shipped by the consignor to the
consignee.
Consignor
The individual or organization shipping freight to a consignee.
Container
A receptacle that resembles a truck trailer without wheel (chassis) that is lifted onto flatcars.
Containers are designed for all modes of intermodal transport. Most containers are 20, 45, 48 or 53
feet in length, 8’6” in height and 8’ wide.
Container Yard
A yard used for storage of containers when not in use. Container yards can be railroad or privately
owned.
Conventional Car
A single platform flatcar designed to carry a trailer or container. Containers can only be single
stacked on a conventional car. Conventional cars are equipped with one or two stanctions,
depending on length, for shipment of one or two trailers.
Crane
A large machine that straddles the railroad track for the purpose of loading and loading containers
and trailers to and from railcars.
Customs Broker
A company or individual licensed by the Treasury Department to act on behalf of
importers/exporters in handling U.S. customs transactions.
Cut-Off Time
The time a container or trailer must be ingated at the terminal to meet a scheduled train loading for
departure.
Dead Head
When a drayage firm is required to move empty equipment a long distance to pick up a load.
Dedicated Train
A train that by design transports a dedicated commodity or type of cars. In the case of intermodal,
intermodal trains only carry trailers and/or containers.
Detention
A charge made on trailers/containers held by or for a consignor/consignee for loading or unloading,
forwarding directions, or any other purpose.
De-stuffing
Unloading cargo from a container
Displacement Light
The weight of a vessel without cargo, fuel or stores.
Diversion
A change made in the route of a shipment in transit.
Division
The amount of revenue apportioned to each rail carrier participating in a given route, where the
customer is invoiced on a through-rate basis.
Door-to-Door
A movement of lading from the customers front door (dock) to the receivers front door (dock).
Door-to-Ramp
A movement of lading from the customers front door (dock) to the destination intermodal ramp
closest to the receiver.
Double-Stack
The movement of containers on articulated rail cars which enable the one container to be stacked
on another container for better ride quality and car utilization.
Drayman
A person employed to pick up or drop off a container or trailer at an intermodal terminal.
Driver Assist
When a drayman is required to assist in the loading/unloading of a container or trailer.
Dry Run
When a drayman goes to a ramp to pick up a container and for some reason leaves without one.
Dunnage
The material used to protect or support freight in containers or trailers.
Embargo
To resist or prohibit the acceptance and handling of freight. An embargo may be caused by acts of
God such as tornadoes, floods, inclement weather, congestion, etc.
EMP
A domestic interline container service offered by Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern. Also included
in the program are agent railroads such as I&M Rail Link, Iowa Interstate, Wisconsin Central and
Kansas City Southern. EMP provides a fleet of nearly 25,000 48' and 53' domestic containers and
chassis that may move throughout a large network.
En Route
In transit to destination.
FAK
Freight of All Kinds
Flatcar
A freight car having a floor without any housing or body above. Frequently used to carry containers
and/or trailers or oversized/odd-shaped commodities. The three types of flatcars used in intermodal
are conventional, spine and stack cars.
Flip Charges
Charges assessed to a shipper when the railroad is required to provide an unnecessary or extra
flip. An example of this is when a private container is grounded off of a train and no chassis is
available at that time. A flip charge is assessed because a flip is required at a time after the train is
unloaded.
Foreign Equipment
Any car not belonging to the particular railway on which it is running.
Foreign Carrier
A term used by a carrier in making references to all other carriers collectively.
FRA
Federal Railroad Administration - The FRA deals specifically with transportation policy as it affects
the nation's railroads and is responsible for enforcement of rail safety laws.
Free Time
The period allowed the owner to accept delivery before storage or detention charges begin to
accrue.
Freight Bill
Statements containing commodity and payment information.
Freight Forwarder
One who assembles small shipments into one large shipment which is then tendered to a regulated
over the road carrier. Upon reaching destination, the shipment is separated into small shipments
and delivered.
Gate
A point at an intermodal terminal where a clerk checks in and out all containers and trailer. All
reservations and paperwork are checked at the gatehouse.
Gatehouse
A structure at the gate where a clerk inspects and clears the entrance and exit of all containers and
trailers.
Gateway
A point through which freight commonly moves from one territory or carrier to another.
Haulage
A legal agreement between two rail partners. The owner of the agreement is referred to as the
'Haulage Rights Carrier'. The other partner is referred to as the 'Haulage Movement Carrier'. With
Headhaul
Rail or truck term used to define the highest revenue generating shipping lane from shipper to
receiver.
ICC
Interstate Commerce Commission, a federal regulatory agency that governed over the rules and
regulations of the railroading industry. The ICC Termination Act of 1995 ended this regulatory
agency. Most responsibilities were transferred to the Surface Transportation Board.
Inbond
When lading clears customs at the ultimate destination instead of at the border.
Ingate
The process of checking a container or trailer into the intermodal facility. The ingate process
includes inspection of the unit, reservation confirmation, the input of data into Union Pacific's
computer system and the filling out of the J-1.
Inland Carrier
A transportation company which hauls export or import traffic between ports and inland points.
Interchange
The exchange of railcars between connecting railroads.
Interchange Agreement
Agreement between a railroad and a drayage company that allows a specific drayage company to
drop off or pick up railroad or private intermodal equipment at the said railroad's facilities. Also
known as an Equipment Interchange Agreement.
lnterline Freight
Freight moving from point of origin to destination over two or more transportation lines.
lntermodal
Transport of freight by two or modes of transportation. Examples are: ship-rail, rail-truck.
Intermodal Terminal
A railroad facility designed for the loading and unloading of containers and trailers to and from
flatcars for movement on the railroad and subsequent movement on the street or highway.
J-1
A report filled out during the ingate and outgate process. The J-1 details damage to the unit,
container information, shipping information, drayman involved and time of ingate/outgate.
Lading
That which constitutes a load. The freight in or on a railcar, container or trailer.
Landbridge
Containerized marine traffic that is routed via rail across the United States on traffic between the
Far East and Europe/Canada in lieu of all water routes.
Landing Gear
Moveable metal legs on the front of a semi-trailer which support the trailer when not connected to a
tractor.
Lift
The process of moving a container or trailer to and or from a rail car.
Live Load
When a drayman stays with a container or trailer while being loaded or unloaded.
Load Shift
The term when the contents of a container or trailer are shifted inside the unit sometime after it
leaves the actual origin and before it arrives at the final destination.
Local Move
A railroad movement in which only one road haul carrier participates. The one carrier serves both
the origin and destination station.
Lumper
A person hired to help unload a container or trailer instead of using the driver.
Maintenance of Way
Mini-Landbridge
Imported traffic movement from an origin port to a destination port on an ocean bill of lading via
land transportation.
Non-bulk Transfer
Freight such as lumber, plywood, steel, packaged products, etc. transferred and sometimes stored
at reload centres, warehouses or rail tracks.
Notify Party
The party that is notified at the time a container or trailer is grounded from a train. Most notify
parties are draymen.
Off Junction
Location where interchange to another carrier takes place.
Outgate
The process of checking a container or trailer out of an intermodal facility. The outgate process
includes inspection of the unit, input of data into Union Pacific's computer system and the filling out
of the J-1.
OutReach Program
A rail-truck or truck-rail movement in which Union Pacific has combined the rail and drayage into a
single transportation package for EMP and SPDU containers. Containers are shipped via rail from
one terminal to another. After that, a contracted drayage firm drays the container to the paper ramp
operators lot for customer pickup. The process also works reverse as well, shipment can originate
with the truck movement and then move to the rail portion of the movement. Also referred to as the
OutReach Program.
Overhead Shipment
A railroad movement involving at least three railroad carriers at which UP is neither the first nor the
last carrier.
Packer
A moveable piece of heavy machinery used to lift rail containers or trailers on/off railroad flatcars at
an intermodal facility. Also known as a piggybacker.
Pad
An area within a parking lot or intermodal terminal designated for a particular type of container or
trailer, such as loaded outbound.
Pallet
A wooden, paper or plastic platform usually with a top and bottom, on which packaged goods are
placed to facilitate movement by some type of freight handling equipment.
Paper Ramp
A rail-truck or truck-rail movement in which Union Pacific has combined the rail and drayage into a
single transportation package for EMP and SPDU containers. Containers are shipped via rail from
one terminal to another. After that, a contracted drayage firm drays the container to the paper ramp
operators lot for customer pickup. The process also works reverse as well, shipment can originate
with the truck movement and then move to the rail portion of the movement. Also referred to as the
OutReach Program.
Per Diem
Charge based on a fixed rate per day which a carrier makes against another carrier or customer for
use of its containers or trailers.
Pickup Number
A secure number provided to parties listed on the waybill. It allows only those parties to receive a
container in order to outgate from our ramp facilties.
Piggyback
Transportation of a highway trailer on a railroad flatcar.
Pigs
A railroad term for trailers loaded on flatcars.
Placard
A sign affixed to a rail car or truck, which indicates the hazardous designation of the product being
transported in that vehicle.
Pool
An assigned group of containers, trailers or cars used to satisfy the transportation requirements of a
customer.
Port Charge
A charge for services rendered at ports.
Port Mark
Port of Entry
A port at which foreign goods are admitted into the receiving country. Ports of entry are officially
designated by the government.
Premium Service
Highest level of service available on the railroad.
Private Equipment
Equipment whose ownership is vested in a person or company that is not engaged in the service of
common carriage.
Proportional Price
Price from or to an intermediate point. Rate is to be used in combination with another carrier's
proportional rate to make an interline rate.
Pup
A 28' trailer, used mostly in less than truckload business.
Ramp
Slang word for an intermodal terminal. Ramps were originally structures, permanent or temporary,
from which trailers or machinery are driven onto or off of a railroad flatcar.
Ramp-to-Door
A movement of lading from the intermodal ramp closest to the customer to the receivers from door
(dock).
Ramp-to-Ramp
A movement of lading from the intermodal ramp closest to the customer to the closest intermodal
ramp to the receiver.
Reconsignment
1. Any change, other than a change in route, made in a consignment before the arrival of goods at
their billed destination.
2. Any change made in a consignment after the arrival of goods at their billed destination. When the
change is accomplished under conditions which make it subject to the reconsignment rules and
charges of the carrier.
Reefer
Refrigerated container
Revenue Empty
Reverse Route
The exact reverse of the route a loaded car traveled from its destination, including all carriers and
junctions involved.
REZ-1
An independent agent that handles all reservations and billing functions for EMP customers with a
centralized system to manage assets through the internet. REZ-1 also handles UP trailer
reservations for selected points.
Rule 11
A railroad accounting term which refers to a customer shipping their freight "pre-paid" to an
intermediate point and "collect" beyond that intermediate point to the final destination.
Run-Through
A train which originates on a different railroad that it terminates and does not get reclassified at
interchange but rather "runs-through" to a point on the second railroad before the train is broken up.
Seal
A device for fastening or locking the doors of a railcar, container or trailer. This is done for security
and integrity of the shipment.
Slack
The elongation which occurs between railcar couplers because of their spring-loaded design.
Slot Utilization
The method of utilizing every space available on a double stack car. A slot includes the space
above a container when another container can be double-stacked. A five platform double stack car
has 10 slots available for loading. If all 10 slots are loaded, you have 100% slot utilization.
Spine Car
A light weight articulated car that is a assembled in permanent consists of three or five platforms.
Spine cars carry containers or trailers in single stack configuration.
Stack Car
An intermodal flatcar that was specifically designed to place one container on top of another better
utilization and economics. Also referred to as a well car because the cars are depressed in the
center to allow clearance of the double stacked containers when moving under low-lying structures.
Storage Charge
A charge assigned to the shipper or consignee for holding containers or trailers at an intermodal
terminal beyond the free time allotted to them.
Street Time
The time a container or trailer is away from the possession of the railroad.
Stuffing
Loading cargo into a container
System Equipment
Equipment owned or leased by a railroad. Each railroad considers their own equipment as system
equipment.
Tare Weight
a) The weight of a container and the material used for packing.
b) As applied to a car/trailer, the weight of the car/trailer exclusive of its contents.
Tariff
A legal listing of rates used when moving regulated traffic by rail.
TEU
Twenty-foot equivalent unit – refers to a 2- foot long container, 8’6” in height and 8’ wide.
Through Rate
A rate applicable from origin to destination over two or more rail carriers.
Trailer
A rectangular shaped box with permanent wheels attached for the transport of goods on rail,
highway or a combination of both.
Van Grounding
The event when a container or trailer is taken off of the train and placed on the ground for customer
pickup. At this time, the container is mounted on a chassis and the notify party is notified.
Van Notify
The event when the notify party is notified by the railroad that the container or trailer is available for
pickup.
Vessel's Manifest
Statement of vessel's cargo, revenue, consignee, etc.
Waybill
A document covering a shipment and showing the forwarding and receiving station, the names of
consignor and consignee, the car initials and number, the routing, the description and weight of the
commodity, instructions for special services, the rate, total charges, advances and waybill reference
for previous services and the amount prepaid.
Well Car
An intermodal flatcar that was specifically designed to place one container on top of another better
utilization and economics. Referred to as a well car because the cars are
depressed in the center to allow clearance of the double stacked containers when moving under
low-lying structures.
Head Office:
No.378, Dong Da Ming Road, Shanghai 200080
Tel: 86-21-35124888
Fax: 86-21-65458984
Web: www.coscon.com
Local Office:
604-689-8989
Vancouver
www.cosco.ca
Local Office:
Compass Marine Services
Suite 2200 - 1050 West Pender Street
Vancouver, BC
V6E 3S7
1 604 669 0100 (24 hours)
www.compassmarine.ca
Local Office
Suite 316, 611 Alexander Street
Vancouver, BC Canada
V6A 1E1
Local Office
600-900 West Hastings Street
Vancouver, B.C. V6C 1E5
604. 891 7447
Local Office:
543 Granville Street Suite 1400
Vancouver, B.C. V6C1X8,
Canada
1-604-601-2900
Head Office:
Esplanaden 50
Local Office:
1185 West Georgia St.
Suite 1605
Vancouver,BC
V6E 4E6
(604) 687 1530
Maple Shipping
With expertise in the areas of documentation, brokerage, freight forwarding, as well as
agency, Maple Shipping ships sulphur, coal, grain, concentrates, forest products, as well
as a wide variety of project and miscellaneous cargoes (both inbound and outbound).
Head Office:
#1101 - 570 Granville Street
Vancouver, BC, Canada
V6C 3P1
Telephone: (604) 669-6411
OOCL Inc.
Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Orient
Overseas (International) Limited (OOIL), a public company (0316) listed on the Hong
Kong Stock Exchange. OOCL is one of the world's largest integrated international
container transportation, logistics, and terminal companies. As one of Hong Kong's most
recognized global brands, OOCL provides customers with fully-integrated logistics and
containerized transportation services, with a network that encompasses Asia, Europe,
North America and Australasia.
Local Office:
Suite 2250, Harbour Centre, 555 W. Hastings Street,
Vancouver, B.C. V6B 4N6
Phone 604 6894144
Fraser Surrey Docks LP is a modern, multi-purpose marine terminal that has been
serving customers since 1964. Its facility is located in the greater Vancouver area of
Surrey, British Columbia on the Fraser River. It is the largest facility of its kind on the
west coast of North America.
Every year, Fraser Surrey Docks handles over 400 deep-sea vessels up to Panamax
size. Service is provided at seven berths and is supported by 53 hectares (130 acres) of
yard area and six sheds providing 35,850 square meters (386,000 square feet) of
covered storage for weather sensitive cargo. Four-dock gantry cranes with up to 80
metric tons of lifting capacity and one mobile Gottwald harbour crane service container
vessels. A hydraulically operated ramp services barge traffic at a separate berth.
Each year, millions of tons of cargo move through Fraser Surrey Docks and in 2005 the
facility handled over 340,000 TEUs of containers. A significant volume of export
packaged lumber, together with a large volume of steel plate, coil, pipe, wire, rod and
other structural products are imported through our facility each year. Fraser Surrey
Docks also handles many project cargoes and quality ship stevedoring is available
through our wholly owned subsidiary, Pacific Rim Stevedoring.
A large fleet of modern mobile cargo handling equipment is deployed on the terminal
with a variety of special attachments to protect products during handling. Operators are
given specialized training with emphasis placed on cargo care. The equipment is
maintained at the company’s on-site garage and maintenance facility.
Rail connections to the company’s terminal are provided directly by the Burlington
Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) Railway, Canadian National Railway, Canadian Pacific
Railway and Southern Rail of British Columbia. The Fraser River Port Authority has
18,000 feet of its own rail car holding tracks, permitting rail carriers to spot cars adjacent
to the facility.
Fraser Surrey Docks provides technology that enables customers to access information
about their cargo on a real-time basis through the Internet. Our Cargo Management
System (CMSII) is a web-based information system that allows customers and staff to
perform such tasks as book freight, track shipments, plan vessels, view schedules, make
rate inquiries, and create many detailed reports.
Located west of the Iron Workers' Memorial Second Narrows Bridge in Vancouver's
inner harbour, Neptune Bulk Terminals is a highly efficient operation providing the most
modern loading/unloading services and storage facilities for a variety of bulk
commodities. Neptune has 37 years of bulk terminal experience with a range of services
including rail and vessel coordination and agency services. Neptune is located on CN
trackage, with interswitching access to all major rail carriers in the Lower Mainland of
British Columbia.
• CN Rail
• CP Rail
• BC Rail (CN)
• Burlington Northern Railway
• Southern Railway of BC
• Trans Canada Highway
Ridley Terminals, Inc. owns and operates the most advanced terminal of its kind, making
it a world leader in the efficient and reliable movement of coal and other bulk
commodities from unit trains onto ships. RTI's highly trained and motivated staff is
committed to minimizing the cost of transporting these commodities. RTI operates
computer-based technology that loads ships at rates to 9,000 tons per hour, and unloads
railcars at 6,000 tph.
The terminal has an annual shipping capacity of 16 million tons, which can be expanded
to 24 million tons. Although part of the throughput is committed, the terminal is available
to all users and operates 24 hours a day.
The terminal was built to provide an export point for vast reserves of metallurgical and
thermal coal in northeastern British Columbia. It is also capable of handling other bulk
commodities. The first ship was loaded in January of 1984.
Vanterm/TSI
Vanterm (operated by TSI - TSI is owned by Orient Overseas International Ltd of Hong
Kong) is a 76-acre, two-berth inner harbour container terminal which boasts five high-
speed dock gantries (four Post-Panamax), a modern fleet of container handling
equipment and a five track on-dock intermodal rail yard.
Terminal expansion plans increased Vanterm's container capacity by the end of 2004
and continue to ensure reliable and timely transportation handling. Vanterm is ISPS
compliant. Vanterms capacity after terminal expansion completed in the spring of 2005 is
350,000 units / 600,000 TEUs.
Deltaport/TSI
Located 35 kilometers south of Vancouver, Deltaport with its Super Post-Panamax dock
gantries, deep water and on-dock intermodal access for two double stack trains
simultaneously can accommodate the largest container vessels in the world. The
terminal is designed to handle the largest container ships afloat and features Super
Post-Panamax container cranes, two berths and advanced computer systems. Deltaport
is ISPS compliant.
Deltaport is the Port of Vancouver's largest container terminal, located at Roberts Bank,
40 kilometres south of Vancouver's inner harbour.
The size of this facility demanded innovation in the ability to shuttle up to three
containers at a time. TSI utilizes a “multi-trailer” system (MTS), which allows one tractor
to pull a three container train between gantries, storage and intermodal yards.
TSI operates Deltaport, the Port of Vancouver's state of the art container facility, under a
long-term lease agreement with the Vancouver Port Authority. Deltaport capacity after
terminal expansion in 2008, will be 750,000 units/1,300,000 TEUs.
The Fraser River Port Authority is a federally mandated port authority operating under
the Canada Marine Act. It administers Fraser River Port, a major deep-sea port located
on the main arm of the Fraser River, south of Vancouver, British Columbia.
Fraser River Port begins at the mouth of the Fraser River, south of Vancouver, British
Columbia, and extends along the main arm of the river eastward to the Fraser Valley at
Kanaka Creek and north along the Pitt River to Pitt Lake. The jurisdiction encompasses
270 km of shoreline that border nine different municipalities in the Lower Mainland.
Fraser River Port is fully integrated with global transportation networks, offering a
complete range of services at terminals equipped for efficient container and break bulk
handling. It is the largest auto port in Canada, and offers integrated services for the
coastal forest industry and short-sea shipping.
Annually, 38 million tons of cargo are shipped through Fraser River Port. This volume
has made Fraser River Port the second largest in Canada, generating $2.3 billion in local
economic output and 12,400 direct jobs. Locally, over 350 businesses depend on the
Port and port-related activities.
Key responsibilities
Jurisdiction
• City of Coquitlam
• Corporation of Delta
• Township of Langley
• District of Maple Ridge
• City of New Westminster
• District of Pitt Meadows
• City of Port Coquitlam
• City of Richmond
• City of Surrey
Land administered by the Port Authority on behalf of the federal government accounts
for only four percent of the total waterfront within its jurisdiction.
The Nanaimo Port Authority is located on the east coast of Vancouver Island, 36 nautical
miles west of Vancouver. The Port of Nanaimo provides four deep sea docks,
accommodating vessels drawing up 13.5 m. Complete facilities include warehousing
space, outside storage, container handling crane, and barge loading facilities. The Port
Authority has the mandate to administer, control, and manage the harbour, waters, and
foreshore of the Georgia Strait in an area adjacent to Nanaimo, BC.
Activities
and operations include: Shipping and industry, foreshore recreation and
amenities, marine recreation, property development and management.
The North Fraser Harbour services regional cargoes to and from British Columbia's
coastal communities. The harbour is a major link in the transportation of logs cut by the
B.C. coastal forest industry. Even before its inauguration as a federal harbour, it served
as a home to lumber and plywood mills and as a transportation route to mills farther up
the river. It is a major storage area for log rafts which supply raw material to the Fraser
River mills. Products handled include wood fibre, lumber, aggregates, by-products and
iron/steel.
The new Fairview Container Terminal will move 500,000 TEUs per year. It is uniquely
designed to efficiently handle the largest concentration of intermodal rail business. As
such, the new container terminal will be North America's purest marine to rail intermodal
transfer facility. The 18 meter (60 foot) extension of the wharf will allow for a berth depth
of 16.75 meters (55 feet), enabling the wharf to easily accommodate the largest
container ships now on the drawing board. Those ships hold up to 12,500 TEUs, making
them up to 22 containers across. The container yard will hold more than 7,000 TEUs and
have space for almost 3,000 in temporary storage. It will also have outlets for
refrigerated containers. Significant support from CN will result in the upgrade and
expansion of the intermodal yard to seven working tracks and six storage tracks, enough
to hold more than 17,000 feet of train. CN will provide full double-stack clearance along
the route and invest in additional rolling stock. Maher Terminals of Canada Corp. will
provide three Super Post Panamax cranes to efficiently handle the world's largest
container vessels.
The vision for the future is the expansion of the terminal to nearly triple the size of the
facility to accommodate an annual capacity of 2 million TEUs to meet the demands of
continued growth in Asia Pacific traffic trade. The project would feature an extension of
the wharf to 800 meters maintaining a 17 meter minimum water depth, increasing the
dock area to 165 acres, and doubling the number of super post-panamax cranes. The
expanded facility would have an on-site storage capacity of 25,000 TEUs and
accommodate the continued growth in regional export traffic anticipated to develop over
the next decade.
Planning and engineering for both Phase 1 and Phase 2 has been completed through
the development planning process to ensure the project planning integrates this eventual
expansion. It is anticipated that work will commence on Phase 2 shortly after the
completion of Phase 1, and construction of the expanded terminal would be complete for
2010.
The VPA introduces a customized and innovative model for administration of Port
Vancouver to meet its unique business and operational needs. The VPA will be able to
react more quickly and efficiently to market needs; for example, the time to process land
exchanges, acquisitions and dispositions will be significantly reduced, allowing VPA to
respond to the marketplace in a timely fashion.
The Port of Vancouver encompasses 233 km of coastline in Burrard Inlet and Roberts
Bank.