Nova Scotia port in last leg of multiyear rail project
6/16/2026
By Jeff Stagl, Managing Editor
A major rail project that’s been in the works at Canada’s Port of Halifax for more than six years is in its final stage and progressing toward completion by late next year.
The Nova Scotia port is carrying out an Inter-Terminal Rail Solution project that's led by the Halifax Port Authority and financially supported by Transport Canada’s National Trade Corridors Fund. The port is two days closer to Europe and one day closer to Southeast Asia via the Suez Canal than any other North American port along the East Coast.
The Inter-Terminal Rail Solution project calls for optimizing the railhead at the port — which is served by CN — to boost capacity to meet growing demand. Launched in 2019, the project includes three main components and involves PSA Halifax Limited Partnership, a PSA International subsidiary that operates two container terminals at the port named the Atlantic Hub and Fairview Cove.
Two of the three portions of work are completed: a new maintenance facility at the Atlantic Hub terminal and a new truck marshalling yard at the Fairview Cove terminal.
Shown: An aerial view of the Atlantic Hub terminal. Civil works are underway (at right) to prep for the installation of new rail. Port of Halifax The last component of the Inter-Terminal Rail Solution — a redesigned and expanded rail yard at the Atlantic Hub terminal — is slated for completion in late 2027. When that work is finished, a dedicated shuttle will move containers by rail between the Atlantic Hub and Fairview Cove terminals, said Lori MacLean, the port’s director of communications and marketing, in an email.
“The project will reduce congestion and cut down on the number of trucks moving containers through downtown Halifax,” she said.
The Inter-Terminal Rail Solution is part of the port’s 50-year plan that’s designed to foster a more resilient container business.
In 2025, the port registered more than 500,000 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs). By 2070, it might be handling 1.6 million TEUs annually — the Halifax facility is one of Canada's top four container ports in terms of cargo volume.
Two new rail-mounted gantry cranes recently were installed at the Atlantic Hub terminal. The first-ever remotely operated yard equipment in Halifax, the cranes will help the port increase capacity, efficiency and reliability. Mike Bayer/Port of Halifax Therefore, preparations are necessary to ensure assets and resources are ready for such cargo growth, including landside infrastructure, digital systems and people, port leaders say.
“Containerized cargo and cruise [business] will be the drivers of port-related growth over the next 50 years,” they say in the long-range plan.
Construction on the rail yard project — which began in late 2025 — currently involves excavation and foundation work. The project includes 14,000 feet of track that will be built within the existing Atlantic Hub terminal. Two new rail-mounted gantry cranes that the port recently acquired will support the transition to fluid, rail-based container-handling movements and improved yard operations, said MacLean.
“The new rail solution should be up and running in early 2028,” she said.
The project also includes a redesign of the port’s container buffer and operational zones that involve key changes to terminal areas.
“These updates are designed to optimize terminal layout, support rail operations, improve traffic flow, and enhance safety and efficiency,” said MacLean.
As part of a broader coordination effort needed to support the port’s increased rail capacity, CN plans to complete upgrades at its nearby Pace Yard. In late 2023, CN changed the name of the facility from Rockingham Yard to Pace Yard to honor former Chairman Robert Pace.
The railroad currently is developing the project’s specific scope and timing, said MacLean.
“CN is engaged as a key operational and technical partner, given its role in the rail network,” she said.
