Rail proponents champion new intermodal hub in Guelph

GUELPH, Ont. (March 31, 2004) — Intermodal promoters are hoping the city of Guelph, Ont. will become the spot of one of Canada’s busiest truck-train intermodal hubs, with a new state-of-the-art, 60-acre intermodal transportation terminal to go along with two smaller existing facilities.

The Guelph Mercury has reported that a provincial government investment development team is examining such a project with the railways and with a company called the Guelph Junction Railway — a local firm which moves the railways’ train cars from line to line.

Proponents of the plan believe the Guelph terminal would appeal more to truckers and could divert some of the shipping away from congested intermodal facilities in Toronto. They are also calling for a new interchange onto the 401 to accommodate the increased local traffic.

Moreover, the newspaper reported that organizers are counting on tapping into Loblaw’s distribution centre in nearby Cambridge — currently a truck-only facility that handles and distributes large portions of food coming from the U.S.

— from the Guelph Mercury