John Orr Canadian National website MONTREAL — Canadian National’s chief transportation officer, who was responsible for day-to-day operations on the 19,600-mile system, has left the railway. John Orr, who joined CN in 1985 as a conductor and rose through the ranks, was named senior vice president and chief transportation officer in August 2018 as one […]
VANCOVER, B.C. — Canadian National intends to double-track 2.5 miles of the Burrard Inlet rail corridor serving south shore port facilities in Vancouver to aid in a short-term increase in port capacity. “The Port of Vancouver is the busiest global trade export gateway of Canada and we must make the most of the existing limited […]
Canadian National power leads a westbound empty oil unit train through River Forest, Ill., on the Union Pacific on Aug. 25, 2018. TRAINS: David Lassen EDMONTON, Alberta — The government of Alberta has reached a $3.7-billion deal with Canadian National and Canadian Pacific to haul landlocked crude oil out of the province. The government will […]
CLOQUET, Minn. and ST. LAZARE, Manitoba – It was a bad weekend for BNSF Railway and Canadian National as both railroads suffered derailments Feb. 16 in Minnesota and Manitoba, respectively. Around 11:25 a.m. Saturday a westbound BNSF coal train bound for Minnesota Power’s Boswell Energy Center at Cohasset, Minn., derailed 40 cars near Draco siding […]
MONTREAL — Canadian National will continue making major capacity improvements in western Canada this year, with nearly 80 miles of additional double track and three siding projects in the works for its lines linking Canadian West Coast ports, the Prairies, and Chicago. CN has been growing quickly on its spine between Edmonton, Alberta, and Winnipeg, […]
CHICAGO – The derailment of a Canadian National freight train in south suburban Harvey that knocked down adjacent catenary supports on parallel Metra Electric tracks continues to affect Windy City passenger operations, even as temperatures begin to climb. For the third consecutive day, all Metra Electric and South Shore Line trains have been cancelled. The […]
The Canadian National Railways started off by acquiring a handful of bankrupt and government owned railways, but soon after this takeover, and over the next decade, the Canadian National Railways expanded significantly as it purchased railroads in the United States. In this free 39-page PDF download, we dive into the details behind: The Wisconsin Central, […]
The western part of the CN system is humming with traffic. New acquisitions are aimed at filling out the rest. Trains: Jim Wrinn MONTREAL — Canadian National, flush with growth in western Canada, is turning to acquisitions and partnerships to help fill up the rest of its railroad. But it’s not looking at traditional railroad […]
A Canadian National freight makes its way through Trains’ hometown, Waukesha, Wis., in March 2018. CN announced fourth-quarter earnings earlier this week that beat analysts’ expectations. TRAINS: David Lassen MONTREAL — Canadian National had a strong finish to a year that began with congestion on its main line in Western Canada and ended with a financial […]
The engineer of Canadian National 2-8-2 3503 enjoys the breeze as he hurries a freight east at Lorne Park, Ont., in August 1955, a year after the author’s experience on another CN Mikado some 700 miles to the northwest. W. H. N. Rossiter A steam locomotive fireman’s duties go far beyond the actual firing of the […]
SASKATOON, Saskatchewan — Drivers stopped for a passing Canadian National train Tuesday are lucky to be alive after the train derailed at the grade crossing spilling freight cars and cargo over the prairie. At least two drivers happened to have cameras with them to capture the entire event from both sides of the crossing. One […]
VANCOUVER, B.C. — The Canadian Transportation Agency announced on Monday that it will investigate rail freight performance in the area of Vancouver, British Columbia — the first time it is using its new authority to launch such investigations. Canadian National and Canadian Pacific responded with statements defending their performance in the Vancouver area, with CP […]
