PRINCE RUPERT, BRTISH COLUMBIA — The Prince Rupert Port Authority recently welcomed the vessel Columbine Maersk, part of the newest marine carrier alliance to add a weekly service at the Fairview Container Terminal.
The 2M Alliance of Mediterranean Shipping Company and Maersk Line (a unit of the A.P. Moller-Maersk Group, based in Copenhagen) has added the Port of Prince Rupert as the first North American port of call to its amended TP8 transpacific service. The service made its first call in Prince Rupert seven days ago when the MSC Rania berthed at Fairview Terminal.
The addition of this containerized cargo service expands the reach of Asia-North American trade through the Port of Prince Rupert to new markets and shippers, supporting further growth and expansion of the west coast’s leading edge gateway.
“The addition of the 2M Alliance as a dedicated marine carrier service is another milestone in the unprecedented growth we’ve achieved at Fairview Container Terminal since it began operation in 2007,” said Don Krusel, President and CEO of the Prince Rupert Port Authority. “This new service is a validation of the advantages our port has brought to transpacific trade, and we look forward to building relationships with MSC and Maersk—and the many new customers that will benefit from the supply chain solution offered through our gateway.”
Prince Rupert is the closest major North American port to Asia with direct access to CN’s Class 1 continental rail network. Since its conversion from a breakbulk handling operation, Fairview Container Terminal has anchored an efficient trade lane providing extensive reach into both central Canada and the US Midwest.
In seven years of operation, traffic through the Fairview Container Terminal has grown at the fastest pace of any container terminal in North America as shippers have discovered the advantages of speed and reliability that have come to define the Prince Rupert gateway. In 2014, impressive container growth continued, with container volume up 15% over 2013 volumes.
Fairview Container Terminal has a current capacity of 850,000 TEUs annually, and a recently-announced second phase expansion that will bring capacity to 1.35 million TEUs. The ongoing expansion project is expected to be finished by mid-2017.
