Toronto Tank Lines opens new rail transload yard

Toronto Tank Lines (TTL), a TFI International Company, has opened a new rail transload yard at Pier 25 in Hamilton Harbour, Canada.

Specializing in the transportation and storage of diverse food-grade products such as dry bulk sugar, processed grains, liquid sweeteners, flour, and edible oils, TTL’s expansion aims to meet the growing demands of its clientele.

The newly inaugurated rail transload yard, covering 7 acres, offers ample space for up to 70 railcar spots, the majority being 100% truck accessible, HOPA Ports revealed.

The integrated port network manages port and marine assets in Hamilton, Niagara and Oshawa, Ontario.

In 2023, HOPA Ports reported a combined total cargo of 11,293,179 metric tonnes (MT) through the ports of Hamilton and Oshawa. The 2023 total was a 9% increase from 2022, marking the second-highest volume in the past decade. The season saw a total of 665 vessels, with 603 in Hamilton and 62 in Oshawa, taking advantage of the longest ever Seaway shipping season.

Commodities transiting the Ports of Hamilton and Oshawa represent approximately 30% of total cargoes transiting the Canada-US Great-Lakes Seaway system. HOPA’s cargo totals rose by 9% in 2023 versus a 3.38% increase in system cargo as a whole.

Over the past 15 years, HOPA and partners have invested close to $1 billion in transportation infrastructure and terminals. This trend continues with the recent announcements of a $135 million sugar refinery, a new rail container facility, a new flour mill, and HOPA capital works for 2024 exceeding $40 million.

Performance

In 2023, agri-food commodities through the Ports of Hamilton and Oshawa reached a combined total of 3.5 million MT, an increase of 5% over 2023. Agri-food represented 31% of total HOPA cargo in 2023, compared to an agri-food total of 18% in 2013, and just 10% in 2009. This growth has been driven by major investments in agricultural-related terminal infrastructure.

Over the past 15 years, the port has attracted $500 million in new investments by agri-food companies, including grain handling terminals, fertilizer terminals, and Ontario’s leading mid-size brewery. HOPA kicked off 2024 by announcing even more agri-food investment, in the form of a new flour mill, to be constructed by Parrish & Heimbecker, and a new sugar refinery, to be constructed by SucroCan.

At the Port of Oshawa, plans for a new grain export terminal are now underway.

“We hope to have shovels in the ground in the coming months to enhance export capacity for grain grown in Durham, Kawartha and other GTA-east grain producing regions. The new export terminal is expected to be ready for the fall 2024 harvest,” Ian Hamilton, President & CEO of HOPA Ports, said recentčy.

Steel and steel-making commodities had a stellar year in 2023, exceeding 6.2 million MT, a 13% increase compared to the previous year.

HOPA continued to advance its Niagara Ports strategy, which now encompasses more than 600 acres of industrial space in Niagara. In 2023, three new parcels of land were transferred by Transport Canada to HOPA management: two at the Thorold Multimodal Hub and one in Port Colborne.