CSX, along with partners from the government of the province of Quebec and the municipal administration of the City of Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, celebrated on May 11, progress at its new Quebec-based intermodal facility in strengthening business ties between Canada and the United States.
“The project required close coordination between Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, the Quebec Ministry of Transportation and CSX, and is a perfect example of public officials and private industry working together to create jobs, improve the region’s economy, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and establish more efficient trade corridors,” said Oscar Munoz, CSX President and Chief Operating Officer. “We are particularly excited to continue developing the north-south trade corridor connecting Quebec to markets like Florida, Atlanta and the Ohio Valley.”
The 89-acre terminal, which opened in December, includes three miles of track and uses three modern rubber-tire gantry cranes to transfer containers between trains and trucks. Goods move to and from the facility in double-stack intermodal trains, the most efficient and environmentally beneficial way of transporting freight, CSX said. A fully-loaded double-stack train can carry the equivalent load of 280 trucks, and thanks to ongoing investments CSX generated record-high fuel efficiency in 2014, the company added.
The $100-million terminal increases access for Montreal regional businesses to the 21,000-mile CSX network, which serves nearly two-thirds of American consumers, reaching south into the growing Mid-Atlantic and Southeast population centers. This enhanced connectivity helps Canadian companies take advantage of the increased trade between the two nations, supported by the North American Free Trade Agreement.
“This state-of-the-art terminal is the result of a close working relationship between CSX and our local partners, and we believe it is a positive asset for Quebec and the Salaberry-de-Valleyfield community as we invest to grow together into the future,” Munoz said.