Intermodal to Saint John

Trains Magazine on-line news article of 5/25/22: "Canada to fund expansion at Port Saint John, short line New Brunswick Southern"

Excerpt:

The Canadian government said on Wednesday that it will spend $42 million to help fund capacity expansion projects at Port Saint John, New Brunswick, as well as to upgrade rail facilities in Saint John and McAdam on short line New Brunswick Southern.

The New Brunswick Southern and its sister short line, Eastern Maine Railway, are Canadian Pacific’s connection to Saint John.

Transport Canada will spend $21.16 million on terminal capacity projects on New Brunswick Southern in Saint John and at McAdam, which is near the Maine border. New Brunswick Southern, a subsidiary of J.D. Irving Ltd., will contribute the same amount.

Transport Canada will spend up to $21 million to increase capacity at Port Saint John’s container terminal. The Saint John Port Authority will contribute $4.2 million to the project, while the province will kick in $16.8 million....

and

....“CP is excited to be back in Atlantic Canada and proud of the much-needed competition our return has brought to the freight transportation market in New Brunswick,” CEO Keith Creel said in a statement. “The additional investment announced today by the federal government and the Province of New Brunswick will make a significant impact for Port Saint John and for Canada’s supply chains. The funding will bring Port Saint John’s capacity up to 800,000 TEUs, almost tripling the Port’s existing capacity.”

https://www.trains.com/trn/news-reviews ... -southern/

With Irving putting in their Millions, it does sound like they are in this pop stand for the long run. I give them credit for all the work that they have done to keep it link to the Maritimes going. CP, I am sure will be looking in the future to buying back what they sold off in the past. They will be paying a lot more that they got when they sold it off. Glad to see Canada stepping up in this project.

9 wells/13 containers today on 132 into Greenville. Barcelona Express appears to have finally docked this morning.

fromway wrote: ↑Thu May 26, 2022 7:38 am With Irving putting in their Millions, it does sound like they are in this pop stand for the long run. I give them credit for all the work that they have done to keep it link to the Maritimes going. CP, I am sure will be looking in the future to buying back what they sold off in the past. They will be paying a lot more that they got when they sold it off. Glad to see Canada stepping up in this project.

They also reported on their last market update with the new Hapag business the CMQ is now a $200M per year franchise.... thats with only one steamship line so far and the port expansion completed in early 2023.

9 wells/14 containers on 223-26. Both trains yesterday with 40+/- or less mixed freight.

Hapag ship arriving from hamburg to start the new service is now loitering at the entrance to the bay of fundy. A msc ship is heading on to dock now blocking the hapag ship since the 2d container berth is not online yet

It appears that CP/NBSR are adding a new train pair, to split off the IM traffic.

"Here's what I'm told about the new NBSR schedule Which begins tomorrow, May 29th.

907 planned 0500 in SJ
908 planned 0900 in BVJ
131 planned 1400 in SJ
132 planned 1800 In BVJ

131 and 132 will run Tuesdays to Sunday
907 and 908 will run Monday to Saturday

131 and 132 are both NBSR symbols. Apparently they'll be CP 120 and 121 on that side. As of right now it's all being run with NBSR power."

Will CP be running a second pair as well?

Yes, 131/132 will apparently become the IM, 222/223 will be manifest.

19 mixed freight, 16 wells/25 containers, and 79 empty wells on 132 through Greenville today.

Milan express the first ship on the new Hapag-Lloyd service has docked in Saint John.
From the port camera it looks to be well loaded

Milan express from Hamburg finally docked today

105 wells/186 containers on 223-29, just 7 mixed freight on the headpin.

https://www.railwayage.com/intermodal/c ... year-pact/
More potential for Container traffic

Well this was an unexpected delight.... the new container pairs can't come fast enough and crews are the choke point. I guess CP is now scrambling to pull folks east temporarily until new hires are qualified.

https://www.railwayage.com/intermodal/c ... year-pact/

I wonder what the expansion at McAdam is for, staging point for SJ perhaps? Not aware of any major traffic that's generated in that area that would drive this type of work.