Intermodal service opens between Hamilton and Montreal

Hamilton Container Terminal (HCT), in collaboration with Hamilton-Oshawa Port Authority (HOPA Ports), and Canadian National Railway (CN), have launched a direct intermodal rail service between Hamilton, Ontario, and Montreal.

The new rail terminal is located at Pier 18 on Hamilton’s Bayfront, operated by the Hamilton Container Terminal (HCT).

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 expect to gradually increase volumes through the new terminal, pending Canadian Border Services Agency approval for bonded movements.

Approximately 20 percent of southern Ontario-bound containers from Canadian ports are destined for the Hamilton region in the Golden Horseshoe, or Greater Toronto-Hamilton Area (GTHA). The partners aim to use the new terminal to increase supply chain capacity in southern Ontario, reduce truck movements as well as reduce the emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs).

“It is Hamilton Container Terminal’s (HCT) mission to connect our region with all Canadian gateway ports. 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,” said Amandeep Kaloti, CEO of Hamilton Container Terminal.

Once established, it is estimated the service will keep at least 200 truck movements per day off local highways. This amounts to approximately 70,000 tons of reduced carbon emissions annually.

The GTHA is Canada’s most populous and economically dynamic region. The partners recognized the need to build supply chain capacity now, as the regional economy continues to grow, with congestion already a strain on southern Ontario highways, said Doug MacDonald, executive vice-president and chief marketing officer at CN.

“We are focused on practical solutions to enhance supply chains in southern Ontario.  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 kilometres associated with shipments,” said Ian Hamilton, president and CEO of HOPA Ports.