K+S Potash rail cars. — Photo courtesy K+S Potash Canada BETHUNE, SK – Today K+S Potash Canada GP (KSPC) celebrates the arrival of the first 177 of
K+S Potash rail cars. — Photo courtesy K+S Potash Canada
BETHUNE, SK – Today K+S Potash Canada GP (KSPC) celebrates the arrival of the first 177 of 531 custom built rail cars at its Legacy Project mine site— enough to complete one of three trains that will transport KSPC’s product to its potash handling and storage facility in Port Moody, B.C.
“The arrival of these rail cars demonstrates how close we are to production, which is expected to begin in the second quarter this year,” said Dr. Ulrich Lamp, KSPC President and Chief Executive Officer. “To see them here, branded with our company name and ready to carry our first marketable product, is really exciting.”
The rail cars will travel along 30 km of Canadian Pacific’s (CP) recently constructed Belle Plaine subdivision, which connects CP’s main line at Belle Plaine, SK to 14 km of newly constructed industrial rail line which is owned and will be operated by KSPC.
“Canadian Pacific is proud to see this important project move towards completion,” said Keith Creel, CP President and Chief Executive Officer. “The construction of the Belle Plaine subdivision is the largest single rail infrastructure project in CP’s recent history and we are thrilled to be the exclusive rail provider to Saskatchewan’s first potash mine in more than 40 years, providing the most modern rail infrastructure of all of the Saskatchewan potash mines.”
The rail cars were designed by National Steel Car and feature industry-leading design suitable for the Legacy Project’s state-of-the-art facility. They can be loaded with product while in motion, and have the capacity to hold the same volume as a regular rail car, while being slightly shorter in length, thereby optimizing timely and efficient delivery of product.
According to Steffen Brill, KSPC Senior Manager, Logistics and Transportation, 531 rail cars will be sufficient to meet initial requirements for weekly transportation to Port Moody, but additional cars will be required as production starts to ramp up later in the year.
“Once the trains arrive at our facility in Port Moody, they will be unloaded by automatic conveyor to our warehouse or directly onto a ship at one of the world’s most modern potash handling facilities,” said Brill. “From there, they’ll be shipped to regions worldwide.”
Part of the rail fleet will also be used to transport product to the U.S. All sales and distribution of KSPC’s potash will be carried out through the K+S Group’s experienced and well-established global distribution structures.
