CPKC Container Dwell Times Improve but Remain a Challenge at Vancouver Port
1. Introduction
As Canada's busiest intermodal hub, the Port of Vancouver has been grappling with container dwell times since the start of 2025. Despite recent improvements, Canadian Pacific Kansas City company (CPKC) is still facing significant challenges, with over 89,000 feet of containers sitting at Deltaport for more than seven days. While this marks a considerable reduction from the mid-March peak of 160,000 feet, the situation remains a concern for Canada’s logistics network.
The issue of container dwell times is a critical measure of port efficiency, affecting how quickly goods can be moved inland. CPKC's struggles at Deltaport contrast sharply with Canadian National company (CN), which has seen a marked improvement in reducing on-dock container footage across all Vancouver terminals in recent weeks.
2. Performance Comparison: CPKC vs. CN
2.1 Canadian National (CN)
CN has responded to the increased container volume at Vancouver with a comprehensive strategy, increasing train frequency and size. This has resulted in a 25% rise in daily twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) moving through Deltaport and a significant reduction in dwell times.
2.2 Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC)
In contrast, CPKC has shown modest improvements but continues to lag behind, primarily due to the lack of a substantial increase in train size. While CPKC’s train volume has increased by 7.6% from February, there has been no significant improvement in the size of the trains, making it harder to manage the rising influx of containers.
3. Key Performance Metrics
3.1 Canadian National (CN)
- TEUs per day: Up 11.4% from March 2024
- TEUs per train: Up 9.1%
- Trains per day: Slight increase of 2.1%
3.2 Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC)
- TEUs per day: Down 9.5% from March 2024, but up 8.5% from February
- TEUs per train: Decreased by 15% from March 2024, with only a small increase of 0.9% from February
- Trains per day: Up 6.4% from March 2024, and 7.6% from February
4. Performance at Other Canadian Ports
4.1 Prince Rupert
While CPKC and CN face challenges at Vancouver, the Port of Prince Rupert has seen dramatic improvements. The port experienced a 71.6% surge in daily volume through March 2025, thanks to increased train sizes (up to 529 TEUs per train from 425 TEUs in February) and increased frequency.
- TEUs per day: Up 7.4% from March 2024
- TEUs per train: Increased by 8.3%
- Trains per day: Slight decrease of 0.8% from March 2024
4.2 Halifax
The Port of Halifax continues its steady growth in container volume. Daily TEUs moving inland hit the highest point in over a year, up 32.3% compared to March 2024. This growth is driven primarily by increased train volume, rather than longer trains.
- TEUs per day: Up 32.3% from March 2024
- TEUs per train: Increased by 6.7%
- Trains per day: Up 24% from March 2024
4.3 Port of St. John
The Port of St. John has also seen increased train volume and sizes, resulting in a nearly 50% increase in daily TEU volume moving inland compared to February 2025. However, year-over-year comparisons are unavailable as data collection by RailState only began in April 2024.
5. Impact on Canada's Rail Network and Intermodal Shipping
The ongoing container dwell issues at the Port of Vancouver highlight the importance of adaptive strategies in Canada's intermodal logistics network. CN’s approach—expanding train size and frequency—serves as a model for managing rising container volumes and reducing congestion. On the other hand, CPKC needs to adopt more aggressive measures to meet demand and reduce container dwell times at Vancouver’s Deltaport.
6. Conclusion
Despite some improvements in container dwell times, CPKC continues to face challenges at the Port of Vancouver, particularly compared to the more proactive efforts of CN. As Canadian ports manage increasing container volumes, efficient logistics and rail strategies are essential for reducing congestion and improving inland transport. Stakeholders must remain vigilant in addressing these issues to ensure the long-term efficiency of Canada's intermodal transport system.
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