Large capsize vessel the Cape Apricot caused extensive damage when it ran into the berth, with Westshore saying at the time it could take months to repair.

“Good progress is being made in the repair efforts,” officials said.

“Most of the clean-up work is complete and construction of a new trestle is underway.”

Another phase of work, including the building of a permanent roadway on the trestle, is projected to wrap up by the end of April.

“This time frame, which is ahead of prior expectations, may still be impacted somewhat by weather and the timely delivery and installation of the replacement trestle components,” Westshore said.

No environmental issues have stemmed from the clean-up or repair at Berth 1.

Meanwhile, at Berth 2, operations have continued as normal and the company has been working with customers and the railroads to reduce impact as much as possible.

Westshore said that while the total damage cost would not be known until completion of repairs, it had started pursuing recovery of its losses from the ship owner and its insurance carriers. It acknowledged the amount to be recovered and time to do so were not yet known.

“The corporation carries property and business interruption insurance which, net of any deductibles that apply, is expected to cover the remaining costs to repair the damaged trestle and related equipment and most of the lost profits and the corporation is working with its insurers to progress this recovery,” it said.

Berth 1 can manage vessels up to 260,000 tonnes on a single, rail-mounted 7000 ton per hour loading-rate shiploader.

The crash in the very early hours of December 7 left a hole in the trestle about 100m long.

The Cape Apricot did not sustain significant damage.

Westshore is the largest coal export facility in North America.

According to a December report in the Globe and Mail, Westshore filed a lawsuit against the vessel’s owner, Leo Ocean SA, which it said was liable for gross negligence for the incident.