The $107 million project, which began site work and construction in March, had a formal groundbreaking ceremony Monday headed by company officials as well as local and provincial representatives.
The Quebec Intermodal Facility is expected to open in 2015, and will expand the shipper’s presence in the market. It also will connect the greater Montreal region and Quebec with CSX’s 21,000-mile US rail network.
“The new terminal will enable shippers in the region to capitalize on the economic and environmental benefits of intermodal rail, expand on the north-south trade opportunities offered by NAFTA [North American Free Trade Agreement], and connect to new markets,” officials said.
When in full operation, the terminal is projected to handle as much as 100,000 containers annually.
Trains serving the terminal will connect through CSX's Northwest Ohio intermodal hub, a tie that will offer quick, efficient access to US markets.
The facility’s lead contractor is Canadian firm Roxboro Excavating.
CSX said the work would create about 600 jobs and the terminal itself would create more than 300 permanent jobs when it came online in two years.
The Quebec Ministry of Transportation supported the project through a $6 million greenhouse emissions reduction grant.
In addition to energy products, CSX also carries for the industrial, construction, agricultural and consumer sectors.
