Canadian Pacific and Norfolk Southern team up on joint service

Beginning October 1, Canadian Pacific Railway and Norfolk Southern are launching a joint intermodal service between the Port of New York/New Jersey and Eastern Canada. The service, say the companies, slices one-third off the standard rail transit time.

“Our new service will provide shippers with consistent second-morning destination arrival. For the first time, import-export shippers will have an expedited rail service option that is competitive with truck transit times between the Port and Montreal and Toronto,” said Lawre Allen, Vice-President of Intermodal and Automotive, CPR.

Rail transit time between the Port of New York/New Jersey and Eastern Canada is typically three days. But the new CPR-NS package uses the Port Authority’s fast-throughput on-dock ExpressRail intermodal terminal with priority passage through rail terminals along the route.

“Shippers have been demanding better service between the Port and Canada. This service provides an improved link between three of the largest markets in North America,” said Mike McClellan, Norfolk Southern’s Vice-President of Intermodal Marketing.

Allen said the new service supports CPR’s multi-faceted growth strategy, which includes increasing the railway’s share of the over-the-road freight market through competitive service offerings.

Initially, the service will operate three days a week in each direction with departures on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. CPR will also provide a connecting service at Montreal for import-export container shipments between the Port of New York/New Jersey and Western Canada.

The service launch also coincides with the redevelopment of the Port of New York/New Jersey, which has a capital program to increase rail freight capacity, expand intermodal terminals including ExpressRail, and deepen shipping channels.

Container traffic through the port, measured in 20-foot equivalent units, climbed more than 8 per cent during the first half of 2001, compared to the same period of 2000.