Canada accelerates Vancouver port expansion with new rail infrastructure

Canada has shortened the development timetable for Roberts Bank Terminal 2 at the Port of Vancouver, targeting an opening in 2035 instead of 2039. On 30 October 2026, the federal government designated the project as being of national interest under the Building Canada Act. The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority expects to reach a final investment decision by mid-2027, with land reclamation scheduled to begin in 2028. The new terminal will be built at Roberts Bank in Delta, British Columbia, alongside the existing Deltaport container terminal. It will feature three container berths, a 1,300-metre wharf and a widened causeway accommodating additional road and railway infrastructure. The development would increase container-handling capacity at Canada's largest port by approximately 50%. Rail access will be a critical part of the expansion. Vancouver handles substantial volumes of intermodal freight moving between Pacific shipping routes and inland Canadian markets. Additional terminal capacity will require sufficient railway capacity beyond the port itself. Transport Canada and the Major Projects Office are separately developing a rail infrastructure strategy for the Port of Vancouver, examining capacity constraints and potential investments across the wider freight network. The federal government estimates that combined improvements could reduce container transit times between Vancouver and Toronto by 17%. In July 2026, the port authority selected the TerraMarine consortium, comprising FlatironDragados Canada, Aecon, Van Oord and Carlson Construction Group, as its preferred construction partner for the terminal's landmass and wharf.