GTA intermodal rail ramps: CN Brampton and CPKC Vaughan
Most containers that reach the Greater Toronto Area by train come off the rail at one of two ramps: CN's Brampton Intermodal Terminal or the CPKC Vaughan Intermodal Terminal. This guide explains how a box gets from an ocean port to your dock, and what a shipper should watch for along the way.
The short version
Two rail ramps handle most intermodal containers in the Greater Toronto Area: CN's Brampton Intermodal Terminal and the CPKC Vaughan Intermodal Terminal. A box is discharged at an ocean port, rides the train inland, lands at one of these ramps, and then a drayage truck carries it the final miles to your door. Which ramp your container uses is set by the ocean carrier and railway routing, not by you.
CN Brampton and CPKC Vaughan, side by side
The CN Brampton Intermodal Terminal sits in Brampton, in the northwest GTA, and is CN's primary Toronto-area intermodal facility. Containers routed over the CN network from Vancouver, Prince Rupert, Halifax, or Montreal generally land here. Our CN Brampton drayage page covers pickups from this ramp.
The CPKC Vaughan Intermodal Terminal sits in Vaughan, just north of Toronto, and is the CPKC (Canadian Pacific Kansas City, formerly CP) intermodal ramp for the region. Containers moving over the CPKC network arrive here, and since the Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern merger CPKC also reaches the US and Mexico by rail. Our CPKC Vaughan drayage page covers this one.
| CN Brampton Intermodal Terminal | CPKC Vaughan Intermodal Terminal | |
|---|---|---|
| Railway | CN (Canadian National) | CPKC (Canadian Pacific Kansas City, formerly CP) |
| Area | Brampton, northwest GTA | Vaughan, north of Toronto |
| Typical use | Import and domestic boxes on CN routing from the West Coast, Halifax, and Montreal | Import and domestic boxes on CPKC routing, plus US and Mexico rail lanes |
You usually do not choose the ramp. It follows from the ocean carrier's routing and which railway carries the box inland. Once routing is set, knowing which ramp your container will hit tells you exactly where the drayage leg starts.
From ocean port to your dock
For a typical import, the container is discharged from the ship at a marine port such as Vancouver, Prince Rupert, or Halifax. The railway loads it onto an intermodal train and runs it inland. Days later it arrives at the GTA ramp, where it is grounded or held on a rail car until a truck collects it. Our rail intermodal service manages this end to end.
A drayage carrier then pulls the container off the ramp and hauls it to your warehouse or distribution centre, where it is unloaded live or dropped for later. Once empty, it goes back to the ramp or to a designated empty depot. That short, heavy leg between the ramp and your door is the drayage move.
What a shipper should know at the ramp
- Availability comes first A container cannot be picked up until the railway has grounded it, the ocean carrier has released the freight, and it is customs cleared. All three have to line up before a truck is sent.
- Free time and dwell The railway allows a set number of free days at the ramp. After that, storage charges accrue, and a box left too long can also draw demurrage or per-diem from the ocean carrier. Plan the pickup before free time runs out.
- Chassis Every container needs a chassis to roll. Chassis supply in Canada works differently than the US pool model, and in the GTA drayage carriers generally bring their own. During a busy stretch, chassis availability still shapes how fast a box can move.
- Appointments and gate access The ramps run on the railway's own reservation and gate systems. We do not have insider gate access or special lane privileges. We work the same appointment and release process as every other carrier, and we plan around it.
None of this is exotic, but the timing is unforgiving. Free time, chassis, and appointment slots all run on the railway's clock, and a missed step turns into storage and demurrage quickly. The shippers who move boxes cleanly are the ones who line up the drayage carrier and the customs release before the train arrives, not after.
Clearing the box before it leaves the ramp
An international container generally has to be customs cleared before the ramp will release it. For goods arriving in Canada, that clearance is arranged through a licensed customs broker partner, not by us directly. Setara is a freight forwarder, so we coordinate the entry and release with the broker and the railway rather than filing it ourselves.
Getting the paperwork moving early matters. A container that is physically on the ramp but not yet released still burns free time. Lining up the broker before arrival keeps the drayage leg from stalling.
How Setara handles it
We are a Vaughan, Ontario freight forwarder, so we sit on the shipper's side of the ramp, not inside it. Through our carrier arm Setara Transport and a vetted carrier network, we arrange drayage from both the CN Brampton and CPKC Vaughan ramps to your GTA dock. We watch availability and free time, book the ramp appointment, and coordinate customs clearance through a licensed customs broker partner. We do not own a large fleet and we hold no special gate access, so we work the railway's standard release and reservation process. If your box comes in through the Port of Montreal, we can coordinate that move through partner carriers as well. See our GTA drayage hub for more.
Frequently asked
What is the difference between CN Brampton and CPKC Vaughan?
They are run by different railways. The CN Brampton Intermodal Terminal is CN's Toronto-area ramp in Brampton, and the CPKC Vaughan Intermodal Terminal is the CPKC (formerly CP) ramp in Vaughan. Your container goes to whichever one matches the railway carrying it inland.
Can I choose which GTA ramp my container arrives at?
Usually not. The ramp follows from the ocean carrier's routing and which railway hauls the box inland. You can confirm the ramp once routing is set, then plan the drayage leg around it.
What is intermodal drayage?
Drayage is the short truck move between the rail ramp and your dock. A drayage carrier pulls the container off the ramp, hauls it to your warehouse, and returns the empty. It is the final leg that connects rail to your door. See our drayage guide.
How long can a container sit at the ramp before charges start?
The railway allows a set number of free days, then storage charges begin, and the ocean carrier can add demurrage or per-diem. The exact free time depends on the railway and your arrangement, so confirm it for your shipment and plan pickup before it expires.
Does Setara clear customs at the ramp?
No. Setara is a freight forwarder, not a customs broker. Customs clearance is arranged through a licensed customs broker partner, and we coordinate the release with the broker and the railway so the box can leave the ramp.
Can Setara handle a container coming through the Port of Montreal?
We can coordinate a Port of Montreal container move through partner carriers. We are GTA-based and do not run our own trucks in Montreal, so those moves go through vetted partners while we manage the file.
Last reviewed: July 2026. General information for shippers, not legal or customs advice. Ramp routing, free time, and gate procedures are set by the railways and can change.
Moving a box off a GTA ramp?
Tell us the ramp, the container, and where it needs to go. We will line up the drayage and the customs release through a licensed customs broker partner.
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