Operations

FAQs

How do you move trains around the terminal?

We use an electronic indexer to move coal trains through the dumpers where they are unloaded. Potash trains are pulled around the site using special ultra-low emission N-Viro Locomotives, which reduce fuel use and emissions.

How do you manage rail noise?

Because of our proximity to the bridge, trains come straight to our site and have minimal impact on the community. All trains are unit trains, meaning they carry a single commodity. Because of this and Neptune’s continuous loop rail track design, we can alleviate the need for shunting and the noise associated with separating and re-connecting the railcars. We also lubricate our tracks to minimize any squealing from train movements.

How many trains enter the site daily?

Neptune receives an average of 2 trains per day. Since rail capacity is a vital part of the Canadian supply chain, we work hard to unload these trains quickly so they can return to the mines. On average, it takes 12.75 hours to unload a 205-car potash train and 3.85 hours to unload 152-car a steelmaking coal train on our site.

How many ships a year are loaded at Neptune?

On average, we load 330 ships per year.

How big are those ships?

Neptune sees ships of various sizes including Handymax, Panamax and Cape-size vessels.

How long does it take to load a ship?

On average, it takes Neptune 2 days to load a vessel with potash, and 3 days to load a vessel with steelmaking coal.