Railroad News

Rail News Home Canadian National Railway - CN 10/11/2022 Rail News: Canadian National Railway - CN
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) has awarded two grants to the village of Wrightstown to help fund rail spurs that will connect two manufacturing plants to a CN line, state officials announced last week.WisDOT awarded a $500,000 Transportation Economic Assistance (TEA) grant to help fund reconstruction of a 4,175-foot rail spur system for Drexel Systems LLC to connect to an existing CN line. When completed, the spur will support the movement of lumber from the Pacific Northwest and Canada."This [rail spur] will assist Drexel in keeping its cost of goods competitive and bring high-quality raw building materials directly into the manufacturing facility," said Drexel Building Supply President Joel Fleischman in a press release.WisDOT also awarded a $400,000 TEA grant to help fund a 1,384-foot rail spur to connect Alliance Plastics Inc. to an existing CN line, which will support the movement of raw materials to the company’s facility from other states and Canada.The spur will help Alliance Plastics “dramatically” reduce the number of inbound over-the-road deliveries to the plant, said company President Troy Wolf."It also allows our company to purchase our raw materials in larger quantities and store more material onsite, allowing us to be more competitive in our industry space," Wolf said.Since 2019, Wisconsin’s TEA program has awarded 20 grants totaling more than $9 million to support transportation improvements linked to business development projects, state officials said.The Wrightstown rail spurs “will not only create and retain jobs in our manufacturing industry, but they will also improve and bolster our state’s transportation infrastructure, expanding opportunities for Wisconsin industries to grow and succeed for years to come,” said Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers.

Rail News Home Canadian National Railway - CN 10/4/2022 Rail News: Canadian National Railway - CN
CN yesterday released its "2022-2023 Winter Plan," which describes how the Class I will ensure it has the capacity and resources to respond to customers' needs during the coming winter months.Initiatives called for in the plan include:• People. CN’s overall employee count increased by 850 people as of June 30, compared to Jan. 1, primarily in the operating crew ranks. Five hundred additional conductors will graduate through the end of 2022. Rail operating managers who are rules-qualified will be available to protect rail traffic movement and support operations during challenging winter operating conditions.• Locomotives. CN acquired an incremental 57 high-horsepower locomotives, bringing the inventory of high- and mid-horsepower locomotives to 1,950.• Rolling stock. Eight hundred new boxcars will be delivered in early 2023 and 500 high-efficiency hopper cars will be delivered during the 2022-23 crop year.• Planning. CN has implemented scheduled slots for bulk unit trains in key corridors to increase rail capacity and velocity.• Technology. Acoustic bearing detectors deployed at five locations across the network will reduce failures online. CN’s third-generation automated track inspection program fleet cars were launched in advance of this winter, reducing risks of rail-related incidents."Since joining CN in March, I have focused our team on servicing our customers' needs by getting back to basics," said CN CEO Tracy Robinson in a press release. "This means running a scheduled operation, aligning capacity with demand and working closely with our customers and stakeholders to maximize the effectiveness and efficiency of the full supply chain. This plan reflects that focus."

Rail News Home Canadian National Railway - CN 8/17/2022 Rail News: Canadian National Railway - CN
CN and Keyera Corp. have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to evaluate the creation of a clean energy terminal in Alberta's industrial heartland in Canada.The new infrastructure would aggregate conventional and clean energy from multiple sources to support the transportation of Alberta’s energy products and contribute to Canada's green-energy future, the two companies said today in a joint press release.Located northeast of Edmonton, the industrial heartland was the first designated industrial zone in Alberta.The high-throughput, state-of-the-art facility would be built on adjoining lands owned by Keyera and CN. The location's benefits include opportunities for product aggregation through close proximity to large industrial operators, existing infrastructure to support the terminal and its customers and direct access to CN's network, the companies said.When completed, the facility would be capable of handling six inbound and outbound high-capacity trains daily, they added."The project will offer a unique opportunity to aggregate products from multiple producers and will provide an efficient mechanism to not only support Canadian industry, but also further global energy transition," said CN President and CEO Tracy Robinson.

Rail News Home Canadian National Railway - CN 8/1/2022 Rail News: Canadian National Railway - CN
CN has published its 2022-2023 grain plan, which describes the railroad’s preparations for moving a western Canadian grain crop that is expected to rebound from last year's drought-impacted level.The plan describes the actions CN will take to ensure it can meet the forecast demand from the grain sector in the new crop year. For example, the plan provides details on workforce recruitment and the addition of 57 new high-horsepower locomotives and new rolling stock aimed at supporting the delivery of grain and other commodities.Faced with growing demands from all sectors, the plan also calls for greater balance across all rail corridors to reach the upper end of the maximum sustainable supply-chain capacity range. That requires making better use of the eastern Canadian network, including Thunder Bay when the St. Lawrence Seaway System is open to navigation, and direct rail shipments to St. Lawrence River ports when the Seaway closes for winter, CN officials said in a press release.Also, the railroad will continue adding high-capacity grain-hopper cars to its fleet. This year, CN will acquire 500 new covered hopper cars, then bring on an additional 500 in early 2023, company officials said.Through the remainder of 2023 and 2024, CN will take delivery of another 750 covered hoppers. The new cars can carry up to 15% more grain than less efficient legacy cars. The railroad will increase its active operating crew base in western Canada and plans to hire over 500 new employees."Our team at CN is confident that the adjustments we have made to our operations and planning heading into this fall, combined with the investments made with an eye to future economic growth, will enable us to deliver strong results in 2022–23 for western Canadian agriculture," said CN President and CEO Tracy Robinson.

Rail News Home Canadian National Railway - CN 7/27/2022 Rail News: Canadian National Railway - CN
CN yesterday reported record second-quarter 2022 revenue of CA$4.3 billion, up 21%, and record operating income of CA$1.8 billion, up 28%, compared with the same period in 2021.The Class I also posted record adjusted diluted earnings per share (EPS) in the quarter of CA$1.93, a 30% increase, and diluted EPS of $CA1.92, up 32% compared with earnings in Q2 2021.The railroad delivered a "solid" operating performance in key metrics such as origin train performance, car velocity, through dwell and record fuel efficiency, resulting in a lower operating ratio, CN officials said in a press release.“I am proud of our team of railroaders and pleased with our solid performance this quarter," said President and CEO Tracy Robinson. "Our team has the network running well, demonstrating improvements in service levels to our customers, driving greater velocity and generating strong financial results. We are preparing for a busy fall and are well positioned to achieve our 2022 outlook.”CN attributed the quarterly revenue increase mainly to higher applicable fuel surcharge rates, freight rate increases, higher Canadian export volumes of coal via West Coast ports, higher volumes of U.S. grain and the positive translation impact of a weaker Canadian dollar, partly offset by significantly lower export volumes of Canadian grain.The railroad's operating ratio in the quarter was 59.3%, an improvement of 2.3 points. The adjusted operating ratio of 59% improved 2.6 points.The railroad is confirming its 2022 outlook target to deliver 15% to 20% adjusted diluted EPS growth. CN continues to target an operating ratio below 60% for the year.

Rail News Home Canadian National Railway - CN 7/1/2022 Rail News: Canadian National Railway - CN
CN this week announced it earned a place on the Corporate Knights Best 50 Corporate Citizens list for the fourteenth consecutive year.The ranking is created by media firm Corporate Knights, which assesses Canadian organizations based on key performance indicators related to the management of resources, employees and financials."CN believes in delivering responsibly. This means moving our customers’ goods safely and efficiently, ensuring we deliver in an environmentally responsible manner; attracting, developing, and retaining top diverse talent; helping to make the communities we serve safer and stronger; and adhering to the highest ethical standards," said CN President and CEO Tracy Robinson in a press release.The Class I has made the list every year since 2008 due to its commitment to reduce emissions and improve its carbon intensity, CN officials said. The railroad has also joined the Business Ambition for 1.5°C and the United Nations' Race to Zero campaigns.Meanwhile, CN also announced two more capital expenditure budgets for 2022 projects in Iowa and Michigan. The railroad plans to spend $55 million in Michigan and $20 million in Iowa.Combined, the projects call for replacing 18 miles of rail, installing 59,000 new ties, rebuilding 33 grade crossing surfaces and performing maintenance work on bridges culverts, signal systems and other track infrastructure.CN has announced similar capex budgets for the states of Illinois, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Tennessee and Wisconsin, and the provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Nova Scotia and Quebec.

Rail News Home Canadian National Railway - CN 6/30/2022 Rail News: Canadian National Railway - CN
CN this week announced plans to spend $230 million on capital expenditure projects in Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi and Wisconsin.The Class I has budgeted $85 million in Wisconsin, $65 million in Mississippi, $55 million in Minnesota and $25 million in Louisiana. The investments will go toward technology, capacity, rolling stock and decarbonization initiatives, as well as network improvements. The projects will increase sustainable growth and ensure the safe movement of goods in those states, CN officials said in a press release.Combined, the projects call for replacing 24 miles of rail, installing 265,000 new ties, rebuilding 97 grade crossing surfaces and performing maintenance work on bridges, culverts, signal systems and other track infrastructure."We continue to make significant investments in our network, technology, and capacity. We are building the premier railroad of the 21st century to do even more for our customers, railroaders, shareholders, and the communities in which we operate," said Sean Finn, CN's executive vice president of corporate services and chief legal officer.CN recently announced similar capital expenditure budgets for projects in Illinois and Tennessee, as well as in the provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Nova Scotia and Quebec.