Intermodal to Saint John

A smaller MSC lines container ship just departed the container dock at Saint John for the Bahamas. Prior port of call was corner brook Newfoundland. Perhaps MSC will generate some intermodal traffic over CP.

https://www.cpr.ca/en/media/cp-and-hapa ... -agreement

Well, this is some big news.

Yes indeed....! NBSR is getting SD70s to accompany this as well, should start arriving in January

Given the push to increase track speed to 40 mph as much as possible before winter, along with the winter delivery of new nbsr power, is it safe to assume that the SJ hapag service will start prior to next track work season? Seems to point that way

Details are slim at the moment but I’m told first vessel comes in March. DP World will need to ramp up men and equipment, similarly might the railroad (Irving posted several conductor positions last week)

Who is NBSR getting the SD70s from? Do we know any specific unit numbers yet?

Former Norfolk Southern via Progress Rail. I’ve heard a mix of reports, could be SD70M-2s but sounds like later series SD70Ms with the flared radiators (I hope for the latter)

Thanks!

Confirmed today its a pair of SD70M-2s to start painted in a slightly modified version of the corporate livery arriving by early Feb (hopefully sooner)

The new Hapag service is not existing CP business at Montreal, but new CP Transatlantic business moving from Halifax and NY/NJ ports away from CN and CSX/NS on the AL1 and ATA (Possibly Med on the AL7 too) services. It's all bridge traffic into the midwest USA/Canada and points beyond.

ONE is likely involved in this change (not sure they'll take on SJ or not) since they have a lot of ships in this rotation as alliance members with Hapag. So either they'll be on board as well or this service will be restructured with Hapag/charter vessels.

Now I see why they were predicting the high volume of containers. Hopefully the infrastructure is up to the task when this comes online

Confirmed on a CP Marketing update that first container ship for CP "regular" business is the Hapag Lloyd vessel "Glasgow Express" ETA of 2/25 to Saint John.

I understand that NBSR has split their chips/logs from regular freight as well into new trains within the past few days, assuming that is to handle this new increase? Last few GMTX leasers on their way east as well from VRS.

Only the 4 GMTX leasers, someone’s ego got away from them reporting more.

The thorn in the side is the SD70s delayed, they were supposed to be here by now. I’m hearing rumors (just that too) they may try to run CP power across. Sounds like volume will be to the tune of 1500 or so boxes per week just to start. I’m also hearing that more than one Hapag service is coming in, so it’ll be getting busy the next year or so. Also the first ship was supposed to be March but they decided to pull it forward as other ports are falling on their face with congestion. Maersk and CMA also ride on the Hapag ships , as well as ONE and HMM in the same alliance, coming out of the Med (same service as this past summer) so there should be a plethora of colors

1500 boxes per week sounds high for a port whose annual capacity is currently 78,000 TEUs. Is this figure what CP expects to handle in and out of Port Saint John (ie, 750 boxes each way/week)? Or is this just the ship traffic, of which some boxes would leave the port by rail and some by truck?
Assuming a "box" is a 40' container (2 ie, 2 TEUs) that's 3000 TEUs per week. Over 52 weeks, that equals 156,000 TEUs, or 2x current Port Saint John capacity. Even if a box = 1 TEU, that means 100% of containers handled at the port go by rail which I'm guessing won't be the case. I think I need help with my calculations....