An automated machine is laying down railway track next to the PowerCo battery plant right now, setting each rail within a millimetre of level. It is part of Yarmouth Yards, a new rail facility the city says will soon be the longest one St. Thomas has ever had.
Pat Anckaert of the City of St. Thomas’s Industrial Development team gave a progress update this week on the city’s “From the Beehive” video series. He said the yard includes inbound, outbound, and runaround tracks, along with five separate storage tracks. Once it is finished, he said, it will rival the size of CN’s rail yard in London, making it the longest St. Thomas has ever had.
The rail yard sits right next to the PowerCo gigafactory, the Volkswagen-backed electric vehicle battery plant still under construction in the city. City officials say it is one more piece of a plan to turn St. Thomas into a rail and manufacturing hub for the region.
Most of the track work is expected to wrap up by October of this year. The switching equipment and electrical wiring that make the tracks fully operational will take longer, with full completion targeted for October 2027.
When the last section of track goes in, the city plans a golden spike ceremony, a railway tradition marking the finish of a new line. No confirmed date has been made public yet.
Yarmouth Yards is the industrial park being built around the PowerCo site. Along with the rail yard, the city’s plans for the property include new roads, protected woodlots with walking trails, and a paved path network, plus a pedestrian bridge and tunnel so people can cross safely around the rail line.
Sources: St. Thomas Economic Development: “Yarmouth Yards Rail Yard Update – From the Beehive E147,” July 22, 2026, City of St. Thomas Facebook post, July 22, 2026, St. Thomas Economic Development: Yarmouth Yards Industrial Park overview
By Anthony Zruna · About the LocVox Newsroom
