How much will it affect rail volumes, will depend on a lot of factors. I'd expect some gulf ports and RR's serving them to see an increase in container traffic. I don't actually expect much decline at West Coast ports, however. Certainly not at POLB-POLA, as many of the land bridge connections are faster, and much of this is high value cargo. I guess we'll know that in the next year or two?

Although it is an "all sea" journey, it is a long trip to Gulf and East Coast US ports via the Canal, new or old, where you still need to "land side" it, to another mode for delivery. So it's a long and expensive haul for high value container traffic, not to mention that nearly 1/2 of the US and Mexican population and markets, are already potentially within the 5 day delivery radius, including handling time, from POLB?POLA.

There have been many who've questioned the economics of this project. If we see the expected growth in World commerce over the next 30 years, and more growth in places like South America, then it will probably pay off.

Another reason for building it was for a potential Panamax CNG tanker demand, from the "emerging" South American gas fields. That is yet to happen, still no trans Andean pipeline, and some of that is now likely to be delayed by low energy prices.

These three ships each way each way each day probably ain't going to pay off those loans, though, no matter how many politicians showed up and paid homage..... So that ship volume using it will be interesting to watch, as well.

Part of this traffic, with much of it coming "up" from Chile-Peru-Ecuador, to the US and Europe that is now transiting on Panamax ships, was being trans-loaded by train across the isthmus anyhow. So the biggest impact might be on the Panama RR.