Thursday morning rail news: CN should avoid layoffs unless virus causes another drop in traffic, CEO says Canadian National is likely to avoid further layoffs unless the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic causes a significant drop in rail traffic. The Canadian Press reports CEO JJ Ruest said Wednesday, after marking the 25th anniversary of […]
Railroad: Canadian National
Canadian safety agency issues update on investigation of St. Clair Tunnel derailment
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada reports it has issued four safety advisory letters during its ongoing investigation into a June 28, 2019, derailment of a Canadian National train in the St. Clair River tunnel connecting Sarnia, Ontario, and Port Huron, Mich. In an investigation update issued Monday, the TSB reports 46 cars derailed in […]
Digest: Report says New York MTA will propose budget with drastic cuts
Wednesday morning rail news: Report: MTA will present budget with dramatic service cuts, almost 10,000 layoffs A report says New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority will present a budget to its board of directors Wednesday (today) calling for dramatic subway and bus service cuts, as well as the layoff of almost 10,000 workers. NY1.com reports sources […]
CN celebrates 25th anniversary of privatization, unveils heritage locomotives
MONTREAL — Canadian National has unveiled a set of heritage locomotives as it celebrates today’s 25th anniversary of the initial public offering that marks its privatization from a government-owned Crown Corporation. In its 25 years as a private corporation, CN has acquired the Illinois Central; Wisconsin Central; Elgin, Joliet & Eastern; and BC Rail. Those […]
News Photo: CN heritage diesel makes debut run
The first Canadian National heritage unit to lead a train departs Toronto’s Macmillan Yard on Sunday on Train X376. ET44AC No. 3115 is painted in the red, white, and blue BC Rail “hockey stick” paint scheme. CN is commemorating the 25th anniversary of its initial public offering marking the company’s privatization, ending its status as […]
CN 6167 moved to new display site
GUELPH, Ontario — Canadian National Railways 4-8-4 locomotive No. 6167 has been moved to its new display location in Guelph’s John Galt Park. The Northern was donated to the city in 1967, Canada’s centennial year, and sat beside the main line and bus terminal until 2010, when it was moved to the south side of […]
CSX and CN expect strong intermodal traffic to continue into 2021
CSX Transportation and Canadian National see strong intermodal volumes continuing through March as retailers across North America look to replenish their inventories. Intermodal traffic, which tanked along with the rest of rail volume at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, has bounced back faster than carload volumes and is currently running ahead of last year’s […]
CN sees one-person crews, autonomous operation as ways to compete with driverless trucks
MONTREAL — Canadian National is closely watching autonomous truck developments but says the long hauls of its intermodal network should help protect the railway from much of the competitive challenge posed by lower-cost driverless trucks. “We’re blessed with a long length of haul,” Chief Financial Officer Ghislain Houle says, noting that the typical international container […]
CN, CP auto volumes to benefit from GM, Ford Canada announcements
OSHAWA, Ontario – In a move that will benefit Canadian National and Canadian Pacific, General Motors Canada announced on Thursday that it planned to reopen its assembly plant in Oshawa. The plant, which stopped building pickup trucks in December, will reopen in January 2022, GM said in announcing a tentative deal with Unifor, which represents […]
CN, CP auto volumes to benefit from GM, Ford Canada announcements
OSHAWA, Ontario – In a move that will benefit Canadian National and Canadian Pacific, General Motors Canada announced on Thursday that it planned to reopen its assembly plant in Oshawa. The plant, which stopped building pickup trucks in December, will reopen in January 2022, GM said in announcing a tentative deal with Unifor, which represents […]
Digest: Transportation Safety Board says sudden track failure led to CN derailment
More Thursday morning rail news: Transportation Safety Board cites sudden track failure in CN derailment A sudden track failure, likely reflecting wide-gauge conditions which developed quickly because of unit train traffic, is the likely cause of the January 2020 derailment of a Canadian National train en route to Prince Rupert, British Columbia. The Transportation Safety […]
News Photo: CN heritage units on the move
Canadian National still isn’t talking about them, but the railroad’s fleet of locomotives with heritage paint schemes is taking shape. On Oct. 24, CN train M396 is east of Schoolcraft, Mich., with Wisconsin Central; Illinois Central; Elgin, Joliet & Eastern; and British Columbia Railway units en route to Montreal. […]