First Containers Roll Through New Hamilton Rail Terminal

HOPA Ports photo

Hamilton Container Terminal (HCT), in collaboration with Hamilton-Oshawa Port Authority (HOPA Ports) and CN, on Jan. 22 announced the creation of a direct intermodal rail service between Hamilton, Ontario and Montreal, Quebec.

The inaugural Hamilton-Montreal intermodal freight train, carrying export-bound shipping containers, successfully completed its journey and is set to transition into a regular weekly service. The partners say they expect to gradually increase volumes through the new terminal, pending Canadian Border Services Agency approval for bonded movements.

“The first export containers have departed from the new Hamilton Bayfront Rail Transload Terminal destined to the Port of Montreal,” CN wrote in a LinkedIn post. “Congratulations to our supply chain partners, HCT and HOPA Ports, for starting up this new shipping opportunity for East Coast ports. Together, this partnership aims to increase supply chain capacity in southern Ontario, reduce truck movements and save greenhouse gases (GHGs).”

The new rail transload terminal is located at Pier 18 on Hamilton’s Bayfront, operated by HCT.

“Canada’s railways are key to addressing climate change, with a significantly lower GHG profile for container movements relative to road transportation. With approximately 20% southern Ontario-bound containers from Canadian ports destined for the Hamilton region, businesses can now enjoy a cost effective alternative closer to home,” HOPA Ports stated in a release. “The improvement in GHG emissions is accompanied by a significant reduction in complexity, logistics, and cost, assisting GTHA exporters’ competitiveness on the global stage.”

“It is HCT’s mission to connect our region with all Canadian gateway ports,” said Amandeep Kaloti, CEO, HCT, a Sunrise-Group Company. “Transferring containers in close proximity to the customer contributes to a more efficient transportation network. Our first trial, establishing HCT as an intermodal hub within the CN rail network, for container movements to and from this area, is a significant step toward achieving this goal. Once established, we will be saving at least 200 truck movements per day from our local highways. This amounts to approximately 70,000 tons of reduced carbon emissions annually.”

“We are focused on practical solutions to enhance supply chains in southern Ontario,” said HOPA Ports President and CEO Ian Hamilton. “By taking a regional perspective on goods movement, we can help to optimize shipments according to the best mode; in this case, keeping containers on rails longer, reducing the truck kilometers associated with shipments.”

“The GTHA is Canada’s most populous and economically dynamic region,” said CN Executive-Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Doug MacDonald. “The partners recognize the need to build supply chain capacity now, as the regional economy continues to grow, with congestion already a strain on southern Ontario highways. At CN, we consistently seek opportunities to enhance the capacity of our network. The HCT Rail Terminal represents an opportunity to meet the needs of the growing Greater Toronto-Hamilton market.”

“Hamilton’s reputation as a logistics leader in Canada has grown exponentially over the past few decades,” said City of Hamilton Mayor Andrea Horwath. “Home to the busiest overnight express cargo airport and the busiest port on the Canadian Great Lakes, Hamilton has increased its capacity to connect to the world through this investment. Whether by road, rail, air or port, quite simply business ‘moves here’. The Hamilton Container Terminal plays a crucial role in connecting and strengthening industrial and commercial supply chains and no doubt makes Hamilton a vital city in the national network. Hamilton thanks them for their investment today.”