West Vancouver Freight Access Project
West Vancouver Freight Access (WVFA) project
The West Vancouver Freight Access project will create a state-of-the-art unit train facility at the Port of Vancouver USA and increase capacity for rail freight flowing through the port and along the BNSF Railway and Union Pacific mainlines that connect the Pacific Northwest to major rail hubs in Chicago and Houston and from Canada to Mexico. (art by Deborah Bartley)
The WVFA project includes construction of a new dual carrier rail access into port property and enhancement of the port’s internal rail system to serve growth for existing operations and future development.
The Port of Vancouver currently operates over 16.9 miles of rail track. With the completion of the WVFA project, the port will operate on more than 44 miles of rail to serve its present and future customers and tenants.
WVFA Project Continues Forward
The Port of Vancouver’s recent acquisition of the Alcoa & Evergreen properties, have already begun receiving cargo and serving as a marine terminal.
Terminal 5 is the site of significant rail work, as construction on the western-most end of the port’s West Vancouver Freight Access project continues.
Work is expected to be finished in 2010 on the Terminal 5 loop track that will provide rail switching, storage and throughput facilities to accommodate unit trains – with up to 110 or so rail cars.
The end result of this project will be the port’s ability to provide infrastructure that BNSF Railway Company will use to break down and build unit trains within port facilities, and reduce the port’s reliance on the BNSF Vancouver Yard near Fruit Valley for such operations. This will reduce congestion in the yard.
The entire West Vancouver Freight Access project will be completed in 2017, and is being funded by port capital budgets, as well as appropriations from the state and federal governments.
Project Updates & Bulletins
Rail update 08/21/09 (PDF 1.65 MB)
Bulletin 1 - 10/16/09 (PDF 1.46 MB)
Bulletin 2 - 12/16/09 (PDF 1.53 MB)
Bulletin 3 - 01/26/10 (PDF 711 KB)
Bulletin 4 - 03/17/10 (PDF 1.26 MB)