I heard or read that Canadian Pacific resumed frieght service to Halifax. Is there any truth to this rumour?
You've probably got your ports mixed up. Since they acquired the Central Maine & Quebec CP has been promoting their newfound better access to the port of Saint John, which they historically served directly until selling off or abandoning all their lines east of Montreal during the 1990s. Their traffic to and from Saint John has to move on New Brunswick Southern for the last stretch, I'm not sure if this is trackage or haulage rights or simply normal interchange traffic.
CP never had a direct all-rail route into Halifax, their Dominion Atlantic subsidiary reached Halifax with a branchline and trackage rights on CN for the last section into the city, but the DAR was only connected to the rest of CP by ferries across the Bay of Fundy, so CN was always the dominant railroad in Halifax. The former DAR is now functionally extinct, its last remnant was the gypsum hauling shortline Windsor & Hantsport, which ceased operations in 2011 but has not been officially abandoned yet.
Greetings from Alberta
-an Articulate Malcontent
There is a thread out here on the CSX purchase of Pan Am Railways for $700 million. It also connects with New Brunswick Southern at Mattawamkeag, ME. Port St. John is undergoing a $200+ million expansion that will allow it to simultaneously berth two 366-meter container ships which are in the 18,000 TEU category.
https://sjport.com/modernize/project-overview/
New Brunswick Southern may end up functioning as a forwarder of intermodal trains to CP and CSX in a manner similar to how Pacific Harbor Lines does for UP and BNSF in LA, but with a longer share of the haul.
kgbw49 New Brunswick Southern may end up functioning as a forwarder of intermodal trains to CP and CSX in a manner similar to how Pacific Harbor Lines does for UP and BNSF in LA, but with a longer share of the haul.
I doubt that CSX will get any of the Intermodal business from the Port of Saint John. At least half of all the containers landed there are for points in Canada, and the rest is for Chicago or Minneapolis. CP has already spent a year upgrading the former CM&Q and has started this year's work. Pan AM's track east of Old Town, ME is out of service and will need a lot of work. CSX is more likely to want the paper loads off of the Maine Northern and New Brunswick Southern. Containers landed at Saint John are not intended for points on the US East Coast.
Why wouldn't CSX want the St John-Chicago containers?
Good question. Pan Am hosts the Amtrak Downeaster from Boston to Brunswick, Maine, so that track is in good shape.
They would have to invest in upgrading their line from a junction with the Brunswick Line to Mattawamkeag. But if CSX can get stacks to that Downeaster Route into Massachusetts and then jump on the B&A, one would think they would have a faster transit time to Buffalo, North Baltimore and Chicago.
CP has to backtrack to Buffalo and get on trackage rights from Buffalo to Chicago as their Detroit River tunnel is not cleared for doublestacks.
And one can never say it will happen, but the UP line from Chicago to Minneapolis is relatively lightly used, so there could possibly be a deal worked there on the old 400 route and it would likely be the fastest route to MSP compared to CP. Certainly no slower.
Of course, that is only if CSX actually winds up with Pan Am. That is no longer sounding guaranteed from recent developments.
Time will tell!
MidlandMike Why wouldn't CSX want the St John-Chicago containers?
I am sure they might want them but I believe it's a package deal.
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