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West Vancouver Freight Access Project

West Vancouver Freight Access Project

WVFA Sneak Peek Video
Interested in seeing what the largest capital project in the port’s history will look like when complete in 2017?  Then click here for a look into the future of the West Vancouver Freight Access project. Travel begins at what will be the new rail entrance to the port near the city of Vancouver’s waterfront redevelopment project and continues west to the recently completed $15 million loop track at Terminal 5. In between, you’ll see the significant rail improvements that will reduce congestion on the region’s rail system and better serve current and future tenants, making them more competitive in the global market.

Construction Projects Map

Project Overview

The West Vancouver Freight Access (WFVA) project is a concerted effort by the Port of Vancouver to create jobs and generate revenue by investing in freight rail infrastructure.  With construction starting in 2007, the project improves the ability to move freight not only through the port but also along the BNSF Railway and Union Pacific Railroad mainlines that connect the Pacific Northwest to major rail hubs in Chicago and Houston, and from Canada to Mexico. 
Projected to reduce current delays in rail traffic by as much as 40 percent, the project will lower costs for U.S. manufacturers and farmers, making them more competitive in global markets.

Divided into 20 project elements, the WVFA project includes construction of a new dual carrier rail access into the port, enhancement of the port’s internal rail system, relocation of port facilities and utilities to accommodate track realignment, and improvements to port roadways; all of which are aimed at accommodating growth of existing operations and attracting future private-sector development.

Much has been accomplished to date; including the June 2010 completion of a state-of-the-art unit train facility at the port’s recently developed Terminal 5.  This new $14 million loop track serves as the project’s western terminus, and the $16 million in rail improvements completed in 2008 near the city of Vancouver’s waterfront redevelopment of the former Boise Cascade property bookends the project on the east.  Between these two project elements, work continues on nearly 40 miles of new track to serve current and future port customers.

Terminal 5 loop track

With completion anticipated in 2017, the West Vancouver Freight Access project is expected to create a projected 1,000  new, long-term jobs.  In addition, the project generates an anticipated 1,900 construction jobs per year over the life of the project.  Understanding the critical nature of the project when it comes to attracting private-sector investment and ensuring the future economic vitality of southwest Washington, the port is aggressively continuing its efforts to identify funding and build the remaining phases of the project. Estimated cost of the West Vancouver Freight Access project is $137 million.

Project Benefits

  • Generates nearly $400 million in private-sector investment
  • Creates between 1,000 and 2,000 new, permanent jobs
  • Creates an anticipated 4,000 construction jobs between now and 2017
  • Generates significant tax revenue for local and state governments
  • Provides more efficient rail access to port marine terminals
  • Enhances the port’s internal rail system, benefiting existing and future tenants
  • Provides dual Class 1 rail carrier access to the port, making the port more competitive when attracting new businesses
  • Removes a significant chokepoint from the regional rail system
  • Reduces congestion on BNSF Railway and Union Pacific mainlines by as much as 40 percent upon completion
  • Allows full “unit” trains, which can be more than a mile and a half in length, to be handled within the port
  • More than triples the port’s rail capacity from 50,000 rail cars per year to more than 160,000 rail cars per year
  • Benefits the development of the Pacific Northwest Rail Corridor, one of 10 high speed rail corridors of national significance by reducing congestion on the BNSF Railway and Union Pacific mainlines
  • Enables the city of Vancouver to develop its waterfront by removing a mainline spur that bisected the city’s property

 

Project overview for non-English speaking residents

To facilitate basic public knowledge of the port’s West Vancouver Freight Access rail project, a one page summary has been developed for distribution to local community centers.



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