Americold Opens Drayage-Free Cold Hub at Port Saint John

SAINT JOHN, CANADA – Americold commenced operations today at a new cold-storage import-export hub at Port Saint John, developed in partnership with stevedore DP World and Class I railway CPKC. The facility is the only temperature-controlled storage solution in eastern Canada directly connected to a port berth without intermediate truck transport. CPKC President and CEO Keith Creel described the opening as a milestone in the railway’s expanding collaboration with Americold.

What Is the Full Scope of This Project?

The Port Saint John facility eliminates drayage costs by linking vessel discharge directly to cold storage and rail loading, targeting cargo flows between central and eastern Canada and markets in Europe, South America, and the Asia-Pacific region. The hub sits at what Americold officials call one of North America’s fastest-growing trade gateways. The facility’s precise storage capacity in pallet positions and total square footage was not disclosed at opening. No construction cost figure was released by any of the three partners. The project ties into CPKC’s broader strategy of monetizing temperature-controlled logistics corridors, following a pattern of co-located cold-chain assets on its network.

Key Project Data

How Does This Compare to Similar Projects?

Americold operates approximately 245 temperature-controlled warehouses globally, yet facilities with direct ship-to-rail cold-chain connectivity remain rare in eastern Canada. The only comparable Atlantic Canada cold storage asset with rail adjacency is the logistec terminal at Port of Montreal, which requires drayage between berth and warehouse. On the U.S. East Coast, Lineage Logistics operates a similarly integrated port-rail cold facility at the Port of Charleston, opened in 2021, handling roughly 20,000 TEUs annually of refrigerated cargo. The Saint John project also coincides with broader North American cold-chain investment: U.S. rail carload and intermodal volumes posted annual gains in mid-2026, with intermodal container and trailer volume up 10.9% year-over-year, reflecting rising temperature-controlled container demand (Source: AAR, June 2026). This positions the Saint John hub to capture diversion volumes from congested northeastern ports.

Editor’s Analysis

The Saint John facility represents a strategic bet on port diversion as shippers seek alternatives to Montreal and Halifax during peak seasons. With fuel inflation disproportionately impacting owner-operators and smaller trucking fleets — motor carrier exits tightened capacity, pushing spot rates higher through late 2025 — the elimination of drayage reduces a volatile cost line for food shippers. CPKC’s involvement signals that temperature-controlled intermodal is no longer a niche; it is becoming a structural growth lane for Class I railways seeking revenue beyond bulk commodities. The coming 12 months will reveal whether export volumes from Canadian protein and produce shippers materialize at the scale needed to justify the undisclosed investment.

FAQ

Q: Does the Americold Port Saint John facility require trucks to move containers between ship and warehouse?
A: No. The facility is directly connected to the port berth, eliminating drayage entirely — the only such temperature-controlled setup in eastern Canada.

Q: What regions will the Saint John cold hub serve?
A: Americold officials stated the facility will support cargo flow between central and eastern Canada and markets in Europe, South America, and the Asia-Pacific region.

Q: How much did the Port Saint John cold storage facility cost to build?
A: The total construction cost was not disclosed by Americold, DP World, or CPKC at the time of the opening announcement.