CN asks regulators to resolve CP interchange dispute in Chicago

Black, gray, and yellow locomotives lined up in yard

WASHINGTON — The Canadian National-Canadian Pacific Chicago interchange dispute is back before the Surface Transportation Board. At issue: Whether CP should pick up the tab for Belt Railway of Chicago switching fees for CN-bound traffic interchanged at BRC’s Clearing Yard. The U.S. Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals in December vacated an October 2020 STB decision […]

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Is Canadian truckers’ protest a short-term opportunity for cross-border rail? — Analysis

Red and black locomotives followed by covered hoppers

OTTAWA, Ontario — Thousands of truck drivers have descended on Canada’s Parliament in recent days, clogging the streets of the Canadian capital and blocking U.S.-Canadian border crossings in response to a Jan. 15 government vaccine mandate requiring truckers returning from the U.S. to show proof of a COVID-19 vaccine. Dubbed the “Freedom Convoy,” and originating […]

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Failure of coupler part led to 2021 CN derailment in New Brunswick

Aerial photo of derailment site

GATINEAU, Quebec — Failure of a key component caused a coupler to fall from a rail car, triggering a 22-car derailment in New Brunswick in January 2021, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada said in a report issued Tuesday. The board also cautioned that if design of such components is not reassessed based on changes […]

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CP says CN’s request to gain KCS Springfield Line is “without merit”

Two trains side-by-side

WASHINGTON — Canadian Pacific wants federal regulators to toss out Canadian National’s request to gain control of Kansas City Southern’s line linking Springfield, Ill., and Kansas City, Mo., as a condition of the CP-KCS merger. CN’s proposal for divestiture of the line is “without merit,” CP argued in a Jan. 28 filing with the Surface […]

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Meet the new boss: Canadian National CEO Tracy Robinson – analysis

Head shot of woman with short blonde hair

Canadian National shocked the railroad world this week with the selection of Tracy Robinson, a Canadian energy executive and former Canadian Pacific official, as its next CEO. The surprise came mostly from the fact that she is not a marquee name in railroad circles and has been out of the industry for eight years. But […]

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Montreal light rail project will buy right-of-way from CN, revise route

Map highlighting changes on Montreal light rail project

MONTREAL — The organization building the REM de l’Est rail transit project has reached agreement with Canadian National to purchase a section of right-of-way, allowing it to relocate part of its route away from a major commercial corridor. CDPQ Infra, the public-works contracting arm of public pension organization Caisse dépôt et placement du Québec, said […]

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Canadian National reports record financial results for fourth quarter

Canadian National logo

MONTREAL — Canadian National reported record fourth-quarter financial results on Tuesday, despite the impact of severe flooding that shut its main line through southern British Columbia for three weeks. CN’s “Full Speed Ahead” plan to improve the company’s financial results, announced in September amid a proxy contest launched by activist investor TCI Fund Management, gained […]

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CN names former CP official Tracy Robinson as its next CEO

Head shot of woman with short blonde hair

MONTREAL — Canadian National on Tuesday named former Canadian Pacific executive Tracy Robinson as its new president and CEO, and reached an agreement with activist investor TCI Fund Management, which has dropped its proxy contest. Robinson spent nearly three decades at CP — with experience including positions in operations, finance, and marketing — before joining […]

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CN asks regulators to force CPKC to divest KCS line linking Springfield, Ill., and Kansas City

lines on map of Midwest showing CP, CN, and KCS

MONTREAL – Canadian National wants to acquire Kansas City Southern’s line linking Springfield, Ill., with Kansas City, Mo., and East St. Louis, Ill. CN today said it would ask the Surface Transportation Board to condition approval of the Canadian Pacific-Kansas City Southern merger on divestiture of KCS’s Springfield Line. CN promises to spend at least $250 […]

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CN begins major work on intramodal facility

Bilevel passenger train on concrete trestle with construction crane behind it

PHOENIX — The start of construction on of a long-delayed intermodal facility will highlight Canadian National capital work in 2022, after the railroad completed several major projects in 2021. Martita Mullen, the railroad’s senior manager, design and construction, provided a review of the 2021 work and preview of 2022 on Friday at the National Railroad […]

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BNSF Railway leads industry in traffic growth during 2021

orange locomotive and train comes around curve in Wyoming

BNSF Railway led the big six Class I railroads in growth in 2021, a year in which rail volume rebounded from the pandemic-related lows of 2020 yet struggled to overcome kinks in the global supply chain. BNSF’s traffic was up 7.4% for the year, with intermodal surging 8.3% and coal up nearly 11%. CSX Transportation […]

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News Wire No. 1 story of 2021: CP, CN battle for Kansas City Southern

Two Canadian Pacific locomotives and one from Kansas City Southern on a train

The Battle for Kansas City Southern, culminating in Canadian Pacific’s triumph over Canadian National, is Trains’ top railroading story of the year. (Editor’s note: This may have seemed like a foregone conclusion, but balloting was close, with this story receiving just one more first-place vote and nine more points than the No. 2 story.) Stage […]

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