CSX Corp. and its transportation and intermodal terminals subsidiaries announced an expansion of the company's intermodal presence in the greater Montreal region and Quebec.

CSX's intermodal terminals subsidiary will build a new 36-hectare (89-acre) intermodal rail terminal in the city of Salaberry-de-Valleyfield in Quebec, connecting the region with CSX Transportation's 34,000 kilometer (21,000-mile) rail network in the United States.

The new $100 million project will enable shippers in the region to capitalize on the economic and environmental benefits of intermodal rail, expand on the north-south trade opportunities offered by NAFTA, and connect to new markets. The project is expected to create about 600 jobs during construction and lead to the creation of more than 300 permanent jobs when completed.

Construction is expected to start in the spring of 2013 and the terminal is expected to open in 2015.

Trains serving the terminal will connect through the Northwest Ohio intermodal hub, offering quick and efficient access to markets across the United States.

Located in the Perron Industrial Park, the terminal will be close to the newly-completed Autoroute 30, providing easy access to the greater Montreal distribution and consumption market. As part of the project, the province of Quebec and Salaberry-de-Valleyfield will make improvements to the road network in the immediate vicinity of the terminal.

The Quebec Ministry of Transportation will also support the project through a $6 million grant for the reduction of greenhouse emissions.

The terminal is expected to handle up to 100,000 containers per year, using modern, rubber-tire gantry cranes to transfer containers between trains and trucks.

In response to community planning needs, CSXT will also relocate a portion of its main line in residential areas of Salaberry-de-Valleyfield to a location south of Autoroute 530 alongside the new terminal in the industrial park.

The project is subject to regulatory approval from the Canadian Transportation Agency.