Excellent rail connections play a key role in the flow of cargo through the Port of Vancouver to and from Canadian and U.S. markets. Three railways service Port of Vancouver terminals: CN Rail (CN) and Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR), both transcontinental railways, and Burlington Northern Santa Fe railway (BNSF).

The Port of Vancouver offers extensive scheduled rail service. CN and CPR service the on-dock rail facilities at the Port's container and cargo terminals. Loading and unloading on-dock saves transit time with less handling, reducing potential damage and costs for the shipper. CN and CPR recently announced that the two railways will share key sections of track to improve the fluidity of rail operations over existing infrastructure in the Vancouver area.

Both CN and CPR offer service directly to Chicago. Beyond Chicago, they have excellent connections with major U.S. railways. CN and CPR provide daily double-stack intermodal service for speedy delivery across North America.

CN has expanded its service, including its merger with Illinois Central Railroad. The railway acquired Wisconsin Central Railroad to provide shippers with a single line service that extends from Vancouver to southern U.S. destination all the way to Mexico. Both CN and CPR offer service connections with CSX Intermodal and NS to benefit the shipper with access to New York, Boston, Philadelphia and the southeast US.

In July 2004, CN completed its transaction to acquire BC Rail and the right to operate over BC Rail's roadbed under a long-term lease. CN has begun the step-by-step integration of BC Rail into its North American system.

CPR offers direct service to transport containers from Vancouver through North Dakota, to the Twin Cities, Milwaukee and on to Chicago. CPR also provides direct service to the Port of New York/New Jersey.