Canada to invest in Vancouver rail infrastructure

The Canadian government earlier this week announced it is investing more than CA$28 million in three projects that will increase transport capacity and efficiency at three facilities in greater Vancouver, British Columbia. 

Funding for projects includes:

• CA$17.5 million to expand and improve the Ray-Mont off-dock transload facility in Richmond, British Columbia. The expansion will increase terminal capacity by about 160 percent, representing an additional 64,000 20-foot equivalent units or 1.7 million metric tons per year. Rail capacity to move specialty grain exports will also increase, and transit times on congested rail corridors will be reduced, government officials said in a press release.
• CA$7.5 million to double on-site rail capacity at the Fibreco terminal in North Vancouver, British Columbia. This improvement will reduce congestion between road and rail operations and increase agri-food product and wood pellet exports. The increased capacity at the rail terminal will accommodate up to 200 additional trains, enable more efficient unloading and improve rail access for other nearby North Shore terminals.
• CA$3.5 million to improve the competitiveness of the gateway industry on Annacis Island in Delta, British Columbia, by increasing rail access to auto terminals and off-dock facilities that serve shipping containers. Improvements will be made to three separate areas of the Southern Railway of British Columbia rail network on the island, including building less than a mile of new rail track, re-aligning track configuration at key areas and upgrading existing rail sections to a heavier standard.

The Canadian government is funding the projects through the National Trade Corridors Fund. 

The fund supports trade diversification through projects that improve the performance of the transportation system to increase the value and volume of goods exported from Canada to overseas markets, and generate new overseas trade.