Port Metro Vancouver, which handles more containers than all other Canadian ports combined, is facing  problems with bottlenecks.

About half the containers make it from ship to railcars in three days. A quarter of them sit for six days or more.

The port is facing fierce competition from Seattle, Los Angeles and Long Beach in the United States and is trying to accelerate its efficiency to move 90% of its containers in less than three days.

Observers say part of the problem lies in relationshis between the terminal operators and the railways, compounded by issues with the labour unions.

$73 billion worth of goods flowed through the port in 2009.

Meanwhile, the port's biggest terminal operator, TSI Terminal Systems, Inc. has signed an agreement with Canadian National Railway Co. (CN) to improve on-time arrival and departure of CN's trains, filling waiting railcars and reducing "dwell time".

The deal includes a near-live exchange of information between the two companies that handle about 70% of the containers moving through the port.