Canadian National Railway (CN) has budgeted $100 million for a new “logistics park” with transloading and intermodal facilities on the northeast edge of Calgary.
The new 680-acre park, expected to be open for business in 2013, would assume most of the operations at CN’s current Calgary rail yard, the company said in a release Thursday.
The new site, on McKnight Boulevard (Township Road 250) east of Calgary International Airport, is to include a “multi-commodity” transload and warehouse facility, a liquid/bulk transload and distribution facility and an automotive compound.
Read Also
Alberta Crop Report: Rains in the south, dryness in the north
Rain fell onto the southern half of Alberta last week, while hot and dry conditions persisted in the northern half, according to the province’s crop report released on July 18.
Also planned is a “state-of-the-art” intermodal terminal, where CN said it will offer customers space to co-locate and custom-build new facilities at the site.
Montreal-based CN on Thursday described Calgary as the third largest distribution centre in Canada, becoming the logistics hub for the “rapidly expanding” western Canadian market.
The new park will offer “potential” for a total warehousing footprint of over two million square feet to customers who need to distribute goods across Western Canada, whether sourced from Asia through the West Coast or coming from eastern Canada and the U.S., CN said in its release.
The new site offers “ample space for current and planned customer initiatives,” the company said, noting the park will be set up to allow “easy” expansion as the Calgary hub grows.
CN noted its project is still subject to regulatory approval, including environmental assessment and public consultation.
While the new park would handle the current Calgary yard’s operations, CN also pledged to continue “quality rail service” to customers along its existing lines within the city.
“CN provides the fastest rail freight transit time between Eastern and Western Canada, which will allow customers’ goods to be on the shelves within three days, a major advantage in managing inventory especially in peak season,” the company said.
