Intermodal Briefs: Port of Prince Rupert, UIPA

The Canada Infrastructure Bank has reached financial close on a C$150 million loan to Prince Rupert Port Authority for the first phase of CANXPORT, a new export logistics hub that will expand rail-to-container transloading at the CN-service Port of Prince Rupert in British Columbia. (CNW Group/Canada Infrastructure Bank)

The Prince Rupert Port Authority (PRPA) advances an export logistics hub project that will expand rail-to-container transloading at the CN-served Port of Prince Rupert in British Columbia. Also, Utah Inland Port Authority’s (UIPA) industrial park in Cedar City earns Union Pacific’s (UP) Focus Site program designation for “shovel ready” sites.

PRPA

The Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB) has reached financial close on a C$150 million loan to PRPA for the first phase of CANXPORT (formerly known as Ridley Island Export Logistics Platform), a new export logistics hub that will expand rail-to-container transloading at the CN-served Port of Prince Rupert, the Port Authority reported May 23. Operations at the C$750 million facility are expected to begin in third-quarter 2026.

Preparatory work has already begun for the new facility, which is located a short distance from Fairview Container Terminal and will handle bulk commodities such as agricultural, forestry, and plastic resin products, according to PRPA. The hub’s initial annual capacity is expected to be 400,000 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units), with the potential to increase capacity to 750,000 TEUs.

Local Indigenous partners are involved in the development and operation of CANXPORT. PRPA said it awarded the primary contract for site development to an Indigenous joint venture that includes Metlakatla First Nation, Lax Kw’alaams Band, Gitxaała Nation and IDL Projects Inc. Metlakatla and Lax Kw’alaams are also majority owners of Gat Leedm Logistics, the largest provider of truck drayage services within the Port of Prince Rupert, that will also support CANXPORT’s operation.

Funding for the hub’s second phase, which is expected to be approved later this year, will be used to help Ray-Mont Logistics finance construction of the transloading facility and container storage yard, according to PRPA. Capital investment in CANXPORT is provided by PRPA, Ray-Mont Logistics and CN. The governments of Canada and of British Columbia are also financial contributors to the project infrastructure, PRPA noted.

“Helping to expand Canadian exports by providing financing for the CANXPORT project is a key part of the Canada Infrastructure Bank’s mandate,” CIB CEO Ehren Cory said. “Our first port investment will increase exports by adding containerized shipments that will elevate the country’s GDP and competitiveness while also supporting Indigenous communities in Prince Rupert.”

“CANXPORT represents a truly unique opportunity for Ray-Mont to offer our valued customers the best containerized export logistics solution in North America,” added Charles Raymond, President and CEO of Ray-Mont Logistics. “The facility will offer over 50 acres of land with future expansion potential, three loop tracks each capable of handling 10,500-foot unit trains, and trucking on private roads allowing us to decarbonize and electrify our operations. Combined with the natural benefits of the Port of Prince Rupert, we will be able to offer unparalleled levels of productivity and supply chain resiliency for exporters.”

“CN is proud to support the expansion of the Port of Prince Rupert through our partnership in the CANXPORT project,” CN President and CEO Tracy Robinson commented. “This innovative export logistics hub will not only enhance Canada’s supply chains and trade capabilities but also allow for growth opportunities for its partners and local communities, including Indigenous-led businesses. The Port of Prince Rupert is a key hub for many industries to access new markets and we are excited to share the benefits of this project with customers across CN’s network.”

UIPA

The BZI Innovation Park within UIPA’s Iron Springs Project Area in Cedar City, Utah, is now part of UP’s Focus Site program, which includes shovel-ready sites that are pre-approved for rail design.

Located near Interstate 15, the park spans 820 acres, offers 8.5 million square feet of rail-served industrial and warehouse space, and includes an existing rail spur and on-site transload services and logistics capabilities, UIPA reported May 23. Target industries are construction manufacturing, aerospace and advanced manufacturing, and warehouse distribution.

“We look forward to providing rail service to the new BZI Innovation Park that connects Cedar City to our 32,000-mile network and nine international gateways to Canada and Mexico,” UP Assistant Vice President-Marketing and Sales Dan McLaughlin said. “With more than 820 rail-served acres available for build-to-suit projects, new warehouses and facilities can easily connect to rail.”

“Through our rail transloading operator RailSync, BZI Innovation Park is becoming an economic powerhouse benefitting all of southwestern Utah,” BZI CEO James Barlow said. “We are pleased to be Union Pacific’s first Focus Site in the state of Utah.”

In a related development, UIPA, in collaboration with Weber County, Utah, recently reported the official adoption of the West Weber Project Area for industrial development on the eastern shores of the Great Salt Lake. Located near UP, Interstate 15, Interstate 84, U.S. Highway 89, and a regional airport, the project area encompasses approximately 9,000 acres in northern Utah.