CN Opens C$750M Rail Transload Terminal in Prince Rupert

PRINCE RUPERT, Canada – On August 28, 2026, Canadian National Railway (CN), Ray-Mont Logistics, and the Prince Rupert Port Authority (PRPA) officially opened CANXPORT, a C$750 million export logistics terminal at the Port of Prince Rupert. The terminal transfers bulk rail shipments into marine shipping containers to serve overseas markets in Asia. Public-sector backing includes C$150 million from the Canada Infrastructure Bank, nearly C$50 million from Transport Canada, and C$25 million from British Columbia’s StrongerBC initiative.

What Is the Full Scope of This Project?

CANXPORT provides dedicated rail-to-container transloading infrastructure across the petrochemical, forestry, agriculture, and mining sectors. The terminal serves as the initial operating asset of a broader C$3.0 billion capital program designed to triple cargo handling across the Prince Rupert gateway. Site preparation and civil development were executed under a primary contract awarded to an Indigenous joint venture comprising the Metlakatla First Nation, Lax Kw’alaams Band, Gitxaała Nation, and IDL Projects. Specific operational metrics regarding annual container throughput capacity in twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) were not disclosed by the project partners.

Key Project Data

How Does This Compare to Similar Projects?

The Port of Prince Rupert handled C$8.1 billion in Canadian exports in 2025 as the country’s third-largest port, relying on the deepest natural harbor in North America to capture routing advantages over southern alternatives (Source: Prince Rupert Port Authority, 2026). In contrast to congested multi-operator hubs like Metro Vancouver, CANXPORT functions on an uncongested, single-railroad mainline directly connecting the Prairies to coastal terminals via CN’s network. On a global level, bulk commodities generated 41.75% of the total USD 370.0 billion rail freight transport market in 2025, demonstrating strong demand for specialized transload interchanges (Source: Mordor Intelligence, 2025). Independent verification of the facility’s exact daily railcar processing capacity was not available at time of publication.

Editor’s Analysis

CANXPORT directly resolves Western Canada’s container imbalance by loading empty inbound import containers with outbound grain, pulp, and specialty plastics. This rail-served transload model strengthens CN’s operational leverage on its northern corridor against Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) and US West Coast ports. With global rail freight projected to expand from USD 388.5 billion in 2026 to USD 602.7 billion by 2036 at a 4.5% compound annual rate, dedicated intermodal transfer hubs are critical to rail revenue quality (Source: Future Market Insights, 2026).

FAQ

Q: Who owns and operates the CANXPORT logistics facility?
A: The facility is operated by Montreal-based Ray-Mont Logistics in partnership with CN and the Prince Rupert Port Authority. The site development was executed through a joint venture involving the Metlakatla First Nation, Lax Kw’alaams Band, Gitxaała Nation, and IDL Projects.

Q: How was the C$750 million capital cost funded?
A: Financing includes a C$150 million loan from the Canada Infrastructure Bank, nearly C$50 million from Transport Canada’s National Trade Corridors Fund, C$25 million from British Columbia’s StrongerBC program, and private equity from the operating partners. The exact private-equity breakdown between Ray-Mont and CN was not disclosed.

Q: What commodities move through the CANXPORT terminal?
A: The transload facility handles bulk products from the agriculture, forestry, petrochemical, and mining sectors, shifting them from railcars into intermodal maritime containers. These containers are loaded onto transpacific container vessels calling at the Prince Rupert gateway.