Ashcroft Terminal Ltd. and the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority  have signed a letter of intent concerning a long-term arrangement for the transportation of Canadian imports and exports. The organizations will work together to invest, build and operate rail infrastructure at Ashcroft Terminal to reduce congestion within the Port of Vancouver, support capacity growth and enhance resiliency within the critical Asia-Pacific Gateway trade corridor.

Ashcroft Terminal is an inland terminal 300 kilometres east of Vancouver owned by PSA International. Ashcroft Terminal’s rail yard and inter-modal facility handles 7,000 railcars and 6,000 trucks annually. .

Peter Xotta, Vice President, Operations and Supply Chain at the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, said: “Creating supply chain resiliency within the Vancouver Gateway is becoming increasingly more important to mitigate against challenging disruptions that can have devastating impacts to trade fluidity and the reliable movement of goods to and from the Port of Vancouver.

“This partnership presents an exciting opportunity to enhance port-related trade capacity in the region and reduce congestion within the supply chain, which will lead to more reliable access for Canadians to the goods they need to support their families and businesses.”

Slated to be operational in the fall of 2024, the new railcar storage arrangement is designed to provide faster and less-delayed delivery of commodities to market and a decrease in the carbon footprint of Canadian supply chains.

Chris Shubert, CEO and CCO at Ashcroft Terminal, stated: “The signed letter of intent is an exciting first step in strengthening Western Canada’s supply chain. The Asia-Pacific Gateway Corridor connects Canada to the rest of the world, moving critical cargo such as retail goods, bulk products, food, and natural resources.”

(Photos Port of Vancouver and Ashcroft Terminal)