Port of Vancouver USA CEO Todd Coleman traveled to Fargo,
North Dakota Aug. 27 to sign a contract with that state’s agriculture commissioner
that allows the port to provide dedicated rail service to move North Dakota
agricultural products west in would-be empty railcars returning from eastbound
shipments.
“The Port of Vancouver will lease blocks of railcars to move
products,” Coleman explained. “This means more cars are available, reliability
is increased and North Dakota farmers remain competitive in the global market.”
Cargoes are already moving by rail East from the Pacific
Northwest, but those railcars often return West without cargo. The new rail
service attempts to introduce more control and efficiency into the process by
allowing the port to lease railcars to carry those eastbound cargoes.
Once the eastbound cargoes have been delivered, the port and
its logistics partners will fill cars with agricultural products for the return
trip to Vancouver.
The port’s responsibilities under the contract include
designating load centers, managing railcars and providing monthly service
reports.
“We’re looking at moving the first full railcars back to
Vancouver as early as mid-September,” Coleman said.
The port is working with BNSF Railway to provide the service
and eventually expand to unit trains if demand grows.
Bulk agricultural products are one of the port’s key service
areas, and grain is its top export by weight. Nearly 1.4 million tons of wheat
moved through the port on its way to markets in the Pacific Rim during the
first half of 2014.
