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Canadian Pacific to begin faster transcontinental intermodal service
Vancouver to Toronto and Chicago in 24 and 48 fewer hours respectively? That’s pretty impressive. Sounds like Hunter Harrison is already making his mark on CP. More details would be appreciated about the lower dwell and transit times and asset utilization, maybe in a Trains magazine news article. Or let Fred Frailey ride one of these intermodal bullets and tell us about it.
In Canada, a “transcontinental” train would have to run from tidewater to tidewater - at least Quebec City (where there’s an Atlantic tide) to Vancouver. A Toronto-Vancouver train is not a “transcontinental” run.
Great idea, but no mention of capital investment for longer or more timely sidings… Just public relations smoke?..
What is the shipper reaction? I think a lot of shippers will accept a delivery guarantee rather than shaving a day off the trip. There are both costs and savings to increasing “asset velocity”. On the cost side, less time for track maintenance may be a cost factor over time. Most of the CPR is single track, so its either run the train or work on the track when the two conflict.
I wonder if this isn’t more of a PR accomplishment than anything else. CP must want to make the new guy (HH) look good, regardless of any “collateral” damage his methods might incur.
Great pic! Really captures the flavor of current operations on the C&M Sub. But that CP Train#182 is eastbound.
There is another factor to be considered with the higher speed of intermodal trains: The maintenance of track costs will increase because of higher stress on the track structure. It is is a good sigh that the intermodals will be moving fast as the customers will benefit…I just hope the railroad is able to recover the cost of doing it.
Service should be faster since Mr Harrison has been decimating the intermediate intermodal terminals, no need to do any of that nasty switching. So long as you want to move intermodal from the west coast to Chicago, Toronto, Montreal great, if you want service at some point in between, Mr. Harrison’s response appears to be “go away kid your bothering me”.
Just saw one of these intermodal bullets blow through our divisional point, Kenora, Ontario on CP’s main line, on the way to Toronto.
Very long trains, typically nothing but GE AC traction for power, and distributed power, mid and end of train.
Could be bypassing divisional points for longer runs between crew changes?
Definitely being given the green light as other big power unit trains (coal, potash,grain) wait and follows them out.
I like the idea of Fred Frailey having a go at (HH) to see what he views as his upcoming challenges into turning this railroad into a mean efficient heavy hauler?
No doubt management and unions have got the message!
Good PR often translates into actual improvements. As the head of the office told me when I began work in 1965, “How well you do will depend on how good you make me look.” That eliminates all the BS in a few words.