The inaugural train carried containers from the Hapag-Lloyd ship Detroit Express bound for intermodal terminals on the CP network in Canada and the United States – the first eastbound intermodal train to the Port of Saint John departed Montreal on August 7.

CP gained access to the Port of Saint John following its purchase of the Central Maine & Quebec Railway (CMQ) in June. CP will invest $US 90m over three years in CMQ to enhance safety and improve efficiency along the corridor. This will be complemented by the port’s $US 205m West Side Modernisation project, which includes a new wharf, a terminal upgrade and a deeper shipping channel.

CP says it expects to be able to offer a 24-hour service between Saint John and Montreal by the end of the year.

“The new Port of Saint John service offers shippers a compelling value: a congestion-free port with a world-class operator, matched with CP’s Precision Scheduled Railroading model,” says CP’s president and CEO, Mr Keith Creel. “CP has been without access to a deep-water Atlantic Ocean port for a quarter-century, and today I’m pleased to deliver a simple message: we’re back.”