As North America’s largest tri-modal inland port, CentrePort Canada has been one of the reasons behind Winnipeg’s economic growth since its creation in 2008. Being located in the middle of North America means transportation and distribution is one of our city’s main economic drivers. Within this industry, companies need easy and convenient access to air, road, and rail routes to ensure reliable and efficient delivery times.
With access to 20,000 acres in its inland port, CentrePort is a transformational project for the city and its distribution network. Its central location and variety of transportation options mean it is ideally placed to help companies succeed in Winnipeg. The area, just northwest of Winnipeg and into the RM of Rosser, connects to national and international trade gateways and corridors in all directions – from Vancouver to Halifax to Mexico, and beyond.
One of Canada’s main transportation options is rail – one of the greenest forms of transportation, being approximately 4 times more energy-efficient than trucking. As a result, more companies are looking at enhancing their rail transportation strategy – and CentrePort is there to help, with its newly-announced Rail Park.
The CentrePort Canada Rail Park, which completes the business community’s vision for a full tri-modal inland port, provides a competitive advantage for local companies, and solidifies Winnipeg’s reputation as a rail city, transportation hub, and leader in global trade. Winnipeg is the only city on the Canadian prairies that is served by three Class 1 railways. Companies within the 665 acre Rail Park will have direct access to Canadian Pacific Railway, and, through federal interswitching rules, to Canadian National Railway and BNSF Railway. This will allow companies to quickly load their goods onto train cars from one central location. Access to the rest of the CentrePort infrastructure network means goods arriving at CentrePort via rail and being delivered within Winnipeg can more easily reach their final destination.
An advantage of the CentrePort Canada Rail Park is how it provides a direct long-term benefit to the local economy. The construction of the Rail Park alone is expected to have a $526 million impact on Manitoba’s GDP, while generating 6,480 person years of employment. It also provides another investment attraction tool to bring new companies here, and to have existing companies expand their distribution and supply chain networks.
Currently, CentrePort Canada is seeking proposals from qualified persons to develop the CentrePort Canada Rail Park for industrial businesses that rely on rail transport as part of their operations. For an overview of the CentrePort Canada Rail Park project, please see here or the video above. Site tours will be available between the dates of July 9 - July 20, 2018. The closing time is July 27, 2018 at 3:00 p.m. Central Time.
If you would like to receive a copy of the RFP, please contact railpark@centreport.ca or visit www.centreportcanada.ca for more information.
Access to rail helps companies succeed. With the creation of CentrePort Canada Rail Park, Winnipeg is well-positioned for a long-term competitive advantage in the transportation and distribution industries.
This is a guest blog post courtesy of CentrePort Canada, a marketing partner of Economic Development Winnipeg
