Home » Canadian government to fund short line project at Port of Windsor

Canadian government to fund short line project at Port of Windsor

By Trains Staff | May 30, 2023

| Last updated on February 5, 2024


Essex Terminal Railway to receive $12.5 million for warehouse, expansion of shore wall

Two yellow end-cab switchers moving cars with city skyline in distance
The Essex Terminal Railway will receive $12.5 million from the Canadian goverment for improvements at the Port of Windsor, Ontario. Essex Terminal Railway

WINDSOR, Ontario — The Essex Terminal Railway will receive up to C$12.5 million for construction of a new warehouse and expansion of the shore wall at the Port of Windsor, Canada’s transport minister announced Friday.

The funding announced by Minister Omar Alghabra, from the National Trade Corridors Fund, is intended to help shift cargo traffic from trucks to trains and ships, reducing pollution and congestion on the Highway 401 corridor. Expansion of the shore wall, to prevent erosion and flooding, will also create the possibility of building a new cargo dock at a later date.

Tony De Thomasis, CEO of the Essex Terminal Railway and the Morterm Ltd., which operates a marine terminal at the port, said in a press release that the funds will ensure the port “is well equipped and in a more desirable position to access new export markets. Further investment in our region will bring us even closer to bringing to fruition the multi-modal hub that this area needs — one that supports supply chains, reduces Port congestion, creates new jobs, and encourages economic development in sustainable and innovative ways.”

Steve Salmons, Windsor Port Authority CEO, called the funding “transformational for our region,” saying short-sea container shipping from Port Windsor will address supply-chain issues, reduce greenhouse gases, and “increase access to world markets for industry in Windsor and Essex County.”

The Essex Terminal Railway operates 54 kilometers (33.6 miles) of track in the Windsor-Detroit area, offering direct connections to Canadian National, CPKC, and CSX Transportation.

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