Tuesday morning Canadian rail news in brief:
CN again sets grain record
Canadian National announced it had set a record for May grain movement in Canada, the third consecutive month it had set a new mark. The railroad moved 2.52 million metric tons of Western Canada grain and 2.6 million metric tons overall, surpassing records of 2.4 million and 2.52 million metric tons set in May 2014. The railroad also set records for the months of March and April and has now moved 23.3 million metric tons of Western Canada grain during the 2019-20 crop year.
Ottawa to require masks on transit
Ottawa has become the first Canadian city to require transit passengers to wear face coverings, as the city’s transit commission on Monday endorsed a recommendation from transit agency OC Transpo. Non-medical cloth masks will be required on light rail and buses, and in stations, as of June 15. The Ottawa Sun quotes Transpo general manager John Manconi doesn’t plan fines for those who do not comply, saying it will seek to educate them instead.
Canadian government will pay infrastructure funds ahead of schedule
Canada’s federal government is advancing the scheduled payment of $2.2 billion to cities for infrastructure projects, but the money cannot be used to address shortfalls in operating budgets for transit or other city operations. The Canadian Press reports the money, from the federal gas tax, is normally split into two payments but will be offered in a single payment this month. It is one of the few ways the federal government sends funds directly to cities rather than having it disbursed through provincial governments.
