Canadian Pacific trims intermodal transit time between Toronto, Calgary

Canadian Pacific today announced it launched a faster intermodal service between Toronto and Calgary, Alberta, to better serve customers along the corridor.

The new service offering cuts 20 hours from previous transit times, meaning the 2,100-mile route now will take 64 hours to traverse, CP officials said in a press release.

The railroad is leveraging the shortest rail route between Toronto and Calgary and relying on an efficient train design at origin to offer the improved schedule, said Jane O'Hagan, CP's executive vice president and chief marketing officer.

"Customers are taking advantage of CP's faster transit times in major intermodal corridors, and given Calgary's importance as a Canadian distribution hub, improving this service is the next logical step," she said.

Using similar practices, the Class I last year shortened intermodal schedules from Vancouver, British Columbia, to Chicago, and from Vancouver to Toronto. Intermodal business accounts for about 25 percent of the railroad's annual revenue.

"Initiatives like these will continue to improve asset utilization while meeting customer demands for supply-chain improvements," CP officials said.