port-report1-025_webCommission President Jerry Oliver highlighted the port’s $275 million West Vancouver Freight Access project at this year’s Port Report, held Thursday, April 25 at the Red Lion Hotel Vancouver at the Quay. He spoke to a packed audience of approximately 320 about the importance of the project in attracting business to the Vancouver community. He was also happy to report that the project has reached the half way mark.

“This ambitious effort, which will improve our rail connections to all of North America, will serve this community for decades to come,” Oliver said. “We’ve made great progress since breaking ground in 2008. We’ve constructed a state-of-the-industry loop track that allows us to handle unit trains that are more than one hundred cars long – the standard for moving freight to a growing global market.”

Also mentioned was the completion of the first phase of the port’s new $30 million rail entrance, which will significantly reduce congestion on the mainline, benefiting both regional and national rail systems.

Following Commissioner Oliver’s remarks, port CEO Todd Coleman led a thoughtful panel discussion highlighting some of the port’s local and international connections, which included special guests Aaron Hegeman, director of public and private partnerships at BNSF Railway; Mel Netzhammer, chancellor at Washington State University Vancouver; and Eric Schinfeld, president of the Washington Council on International Trade.

Aaron Hegeman highlighted that the port’s rail project as an important connection as it is not only improving the rail system in Vancouver, but regionally and nationally as well. In short, this project is one of the most important community assets the port has ever constructed – and it is already having its intended effect of attracting new business and trade opportunities.