PRINCE RUPERT, BRITISH COLUMBIA — The Port of Prince Rupert’s Fairview Container Terminal has restored fluidity to its target 2.5-day dwell times.
“We recognize the importance of speed and reliability in the supply chain and that shippers have come to expect industry leading performance in Prince Rupert,” said Shaun Stevenson, Vice President, Trade Development and Public Affairs for the Port of Prince Rupert. “With service levels restored and capacity available to accommodate growth, we are on track for another record year.”
Following a signficant expansion project completed in 2017, the Fairview Container Terminal is now Canada’s second largest gateway for intermodal trade. Additional terminal capacity has been fully realized with the deployment of rubber tired gantry (RTG) cranes in the terminal rail yard, increasing outbound rail capacity from 30,000 to 40,000 feet per day.
“Restoration of normalized dwell times demonstrates the resiliency of both DP World Prince Rupert and CN,” said Stevenson. “With the support of our ocean carriers, CN’s extensive rail network, and the strength and flexibility of DP World’s global network of marine terminals, Prince Rupert was able to meet challenging market conditions with practical solutions.”
With ample capacity for growth and increasing trans-Pacific trade demand, the Fairview Container Terminal is now well-prepared to accommodate growth in import and export volumes through the duration of 2018. In addition to nearly 200 longshore positions added in Prince Rupert in 2017, ILWU 505 is in the process of recruiting an additional 200 longshoremen this month to ensure the local workforce is sufficient.
CN has increased intermodal rail equipment supply and acquired additional locomotives for the Prince Rupert rail corridor, as part of a $3.2 billion capital investment plan for 2018 to improve network efficiency.
“Our collaborative approach to strategic planning and responding tocustomer demand continues to be one of the greatest strengths of the Prince Rupert model,” said Stevenson. “The recent challenges we experienced are regrettable. However, the situation demonstrated our collective commitment to our customers and to the sustained fluidity of our operations.”
