Canadian National Railway News

Consortium Forms North Pacific Green Corridor

Global industry leaders from North America, Asia and Europe have announced the formation of the North Pacific Green Corridor Consortium (NPGCC) whose members and partners will work together to decarbonize the value chain for commodities between North America and Asia.The NPGCC will apply its collective expertise to develop a corridor for the decarbonized transportation of multiple commodities, including agricultural products, metal concentrates and steelmaking coal.The members of the NPGCC are committed to establishing the consortium as a catalyst for decarbonization efforts…

Crowley Launches Multimodal Service Between Mexico, US and Canada

Crowley announced it will launch an end-to-end, integrated ocean and rail service between Mexico and the U.S. Midwest region and into Canada. Featuring Crowley’s new Mexico-U.S. ocean route in the Gulf, the service will leverage the inland rail network of Canadian National Railway Company and its U.S. rail subsidiaries (CN). The companies’ combined network provides broad reach across the Midwest and into Canada to increase solutions for global customers in North American market…

Tidewater Names Degodny CCO

Tidewater Transportation and Terminals said it recently added Aaron Degodny as its new Vice-President and Chief Commercial Officer. As part of Tidewater’s executive leadership team, Degodny will focus on establishing strategic partnerships in new markets, expanding and strengthening client relationships, and extending the regional and global footprint of Tidewater, the largest barge transportation and terminal network on the Columbia-Snake River system. He will have direct oversight and responsibility for business development, sales and marketing, public relations and media.

Evergreen, CN Extend Intermodal Pact

Canadian National Railway (CN) and Taiwanese container transportation and shipping company Evergreen Line announced that their long-standing relationship of 27 years will continue with a new agreement extending their intermodal partnership.Evergreen and CN have long enjoyed a mutually beneficial partnership, with Evergreen calling at CN served ports such as Vancouver, Prince Rupert, and Halifax. This new agreement furthers the privileged relationship between both companies.“We are pleased to be renewing our partnership with CN,” said Roy Amalfitano, Vice Chairman of Evergreen Shipping Agency (America) Corporation, the general agency of Evergreen Line for North America.“After nearly three decades of close collaboration…

Cosco, CN Extend Intermodal Pact

Canadian National Railway (CN) announced that COSCO Shipping has chosen CN to be the exclusive rail provider for the Chinese state-owned shipping company's discharge at the Ports of Vancouver, Prince Rupert, Montreal, and Halifax to all currently served CN destinations.“We are proud that CN’s supply chain logistics and focus on growth has earned the continued trust of COSCO shipping’s business,” said Keith Reardon, senior vice-president of consumer product supply chain at CN.“This is yet another strategic contract signed recently. By choosing CN to service all inland destinations on the network, COSCO will be well positioned to benefit from a unique tri-coastal access.

CN Acquires NY - Quebec Rail Line CSX

Canadian National Railway (CN) announced that it acquired a rail line running between Valleyfield, Quebec, and Woodard, New York, from CSX Corp. (CSX).The Massena rail line represents more than 220 miles of track. The rail line also serves many cities in the province of Quebec, including Beauharnois and Huntingdon, and in the state of New York, including Massena, Norwood, Potsdam, and Gouverneur."With this acquisition from CSX, we are opening up new opportunities for our existing customers and local businesses who will be able to access new markets through CN's unique three coasts network," said JJ Ruest, president and chief executive officer of CN.“By acquiring the Massena rail line, CN continues to expand our network and foster additional supply chain solutions.

PSA International Buys Canada's Halterm

Singapore-based port operator PSA International has completed the acquisition of Halterm Container Terminal in the Port of Halifax, Canada, from Macquarie Infrastructure Partners."PSA International Pte Ltd concluded the purchase of the terminal from Macquarie Infrastructure Partners after formal approval by regulatory authorities, " said a PSA news release issued on Wednesday night.Halterm is the only container terminal in Eastern Canada that can serve mega container vessels. It operates three container berths covering more than a kilometer of quay length with depth of up to 16 meters.The terminal is currently undergoing further berth expansion…

Labor Spat at Vancouver Ends as Deal Reached

Longshore workers at Canada's biggest port, the Port of Vancouver, were locked out on Thursday in a labor dispute over technology changes, temporarily grinding most shipping there to a halt. The lockout ended in a deal on Thursday with their employer after a few hours, the workers' union said.A tentative agreement on a new contract was reached with the BC Maritime Employers Association, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Canada said in a statement. Jim Thompson, a spokesman for the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Canada…

Hutchison Ports, CN Rail to Build Terminal in Canada

Canadian Québec Port Authority (QPA) has signed a long-term commercial agreement with Hong Kong's Hutchison Ports and Canadian National Railway (CN) to build and operate a new container terminal, known as project Laurentia.The agreement increases Hutchison Ports' global network to 52 ports spanning 27 countries including the United Kingdom, Spain, Poland, Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Australia, China, Pakistan, Egypt, Argentina, Mexico and Panama, said a press release.Hutchison Ports plays a strong role in the maritime industry worldwide and handles close to 85 million TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit) per year, representing…

PSA to Acquire Halterm, Penn Terminals

Singapore-headquartered port operator PSA International is all set to take over the Halterm Container Terminal in the Port of Halifax, Canada, and multipurpose Penn Terminals in Pennsylvania, USA.Both Halterm and Penn terminals are 100% owned by Macquarie Infrastructure Partner funds, a fund managed by Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets (MIRA). The price was not disclosed.Halterm terminal at the Port of Halifax is the largest container terminal in Eastern Canada. Penn Terminals located in Philadelphia, USA offers steverdoring, marine terminal and cargo entry for ports in the United States.PSA, which is owned by Temasek, the sovereign wealth fund of Singapore, said it is in the process of securing regulatory approvals from U.S. and Canadian authorities.

Port NOLA Names Mike Stolzman as GM

The New Orleans Public Belt Railroad Corporation (NOPB), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA), has named M.D. (Mike) Stolzman as its new General Manager, effective immediately.Stolzman, a veteran railroad executive with extensive short line and Class I rail experience, will report to Brandy D. Christian, President and CEO of Port NOLA and CEO of NOPB, which is a Class III railroad on the nation’s fourth largest rail gateway that connects with six Class I railroads and serves Port NOLA and local industry.“There was tremendous interest in NOPB’s General Manager position and we were fortunate to attract a wide range of highly qualified candidates,” said Christian.

CN to Invest $320mln in Ontario

Canadian National Railway (CN) said that it plans to invest approximately $320 million in Ontario in 2019 to expand and strengthen the company’s rail network across the province.CN’s Ontario rail network stretches across the province, and the GTHA is home to MacMillan Yard, CN’s largest rail car classification facility, and Brampton Intermodal Terminal, CN’s largest intermodal facility.“Following a record capital program in 2018, CN has been able to take on more traffic from different commodity sectors based on contracts with our customers,” said Doug MacDonald, Vice-President of CN’s Eastern Region. “This year, we are continuing to…

CN Rail Acquires Trucking Company TransX

Canadian National Railway (CN) has signed a deal to acquire the Winnipeg-based TransX Group of Companies, one of Canada’s largest and oldest transportation companies.“We are pleased to have concluded this important transaction that allows us to deepen our supply chain focus and to continue to offer the best services to our customers, from the first mile to the last mile. This transaction will support the safe and efficient movement of our customers’ goods to their end markets in a fast-growing consumer economy,” said JJ Ruest, President and Chief Executive Officer of CN.Mike Jones, Chief Operating Officer of The TransX Group of Companies said…

CN to Invest $345mln in British Columbia

Canadian National Railway (CN) said it plans to invest approximately $345 million across British Columbia in 2019 to expand and strengthen the Company’s rail network throughout the province.“Following a record capital program in 2018, CN has been able to take on more traffic from different commodity sectors based on contracts with our customers. This year, CN is planning to invest even more than last year to continue boosting capacity and network resiliency and to meet growing traffic on our corridors across B.C.,” said Doug Ryhorchuk, Vice-President of CN’s Western Region.The B.C. investments are part of CN’s 2019 record $3.9-billion capital investment focused on enabling growth from all commodity segments…

CN Invests $245mln in Expansion

Canadian National Railway (CN) said it plans to invest more than $245 million in Saskatchewan in 2019 to expand and strengthen the company’s rail network across the province.“Following a record capital program in 2018, CN brought on 25% more qualified train conductors in Western Canada and added over 10% more active high horse power locomotives to its network. This year, CN is investing $35M more than last year to bring greater capacity to CN’s mainline to benefit all commodities,” said Doug Ryhorchuk, vice-president of CN’s Western Region.The Saskatchewan investments are part of CN’s 2019 record $3.9 billion capital investment focused on enabling growth from all commodity segments…

CN Buys TransX

Canadian National Railway (CN) has signed a deal to acquire the Winnipeg-based TransX Group of Companies as part of its strategy to expands its North American intermodal supply chain services.TransX, one of Canada’s largest and oldest transportation companies, provides various transportation and logistics services, including intermodal, truckload, less than truckload and specialized services. The 55-year-old company will continue to be based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and operate independently, CN officials said in a press release.“This strategic acquisition allows CN to deepen its supply chain focus, strengthening our exceptional franchise…

CN Board Appoints Jean-Jacques Ruest President and CEO

The Board of Directors of Canadian National Railway Company (CN) announced the appointment of Jean-Jacques Ruest as President and Chief Executive Officer of CN effective immediately. Ruest has also been appointed to CN’s Board of Directors.“In JJ, we have the best. He brings vision, energy, and speed to the role. JJ brought the team together to tackle the immediate operational and customer service challenges the Company was facing since the fall of 2017,” said Board Chairman Robert Pace.Ruest, 63, has been with the Company for 22 years, the last eight as Executive Vice-President and Chief Marketing Officer.“I am very proud to be a CN railroader, and I am honoured and humbled by the Board’s confidence in me and the entire leadership team,” said Ruest.

CN Plans to Ship Crude in Late 2018 at Favorable Pricing

Canadian National Railway Co plans to use some additional capacity expected at the end of 2018 for its crude business, which it plans to "lock in for some time" at "very favorable pricing," the company's Chief Financial Officer said on Wednesday. "We've taken the opportunity...as capacity will come in in the second half of the year to actually lock in crude business at very favorable pricing and to lock it in for some time with some volume commitments," CN CFO Ghislain Houle said at the Wolfe Research transportation conference.

Canadian National Rides High in Intermodal Growth

The Montreal-based Canadian National Railway (CN) reported a higher fourth-quarter profit and raised its dividend, bucking a weak trend among major North American railroads. However, it has given an uncertain but far rosier outlooks for 2016 than most of its North American counterparts after strong international intermodal volume gains helped propel it to a double-digit profit rise. CN said profit rose to $941-million while diluted earnings per share increased by 15 per cent to $1.18. Revenue fell by 1 per cent to $3.2-billion as carloads declined by 8 per cent. It earned 941 million Canadian dollars ($669 million), or C$1.18 a share, up from C$844 million, or C$1.03, a year earlier.

AAPA 2016 Conference Focuses on Western Ports

U.S. High-ranking government officials, policy influencers, port authority CEOs and senior staff from throughout the Western Hemisphere, along with a host of maritime industry leaders will converge on Washington, D.C., April 4-6, to participate in the 2016 Spring Conference of the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) – the unified and recognized voice of seaports in the Americas. Among the conference highlights will be a keynote luncheon address by U.S. Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx on April 6…

Oil Spilled After U.S. Train Derailment

Canadian National Railway Co said about 20,000 gallons of oil was released following a freight train derailment at Plainfield, the U.S. state of Illinois on Friday, according to a filing with state pollution regulators. The cause of the derailment was unknown, a filing with the Illinois Emergency Management Agency said on Saturday. Local media reports estimated the spill to be 45,000 gallons. The incident occurred when 20 cars of a Canadian National Railway Co freight train, carrying crude for Exxon Mobil Corp to Louisiana…

Train Lobby Pushes to Weaken Safety Rule

Billionaire investor Warren Buffett is set to be a chief beneficiary of a bid by Senate Republicans to weaken new regulations to improve train safety in the $2.8 billion crude-by-rail industry, a key cog in the development of the vast North American shale oil fields. A series of oil train accidents, including the July 2013 explosion of a train carrying crude in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, that killed 47 people, led U.S. and Canadian regulators to announce sweeping safety rules in May. Among other things, U.S. oil trains are required to install new electronically controlled pneumatic (ECP) brakes. But in late June, the Republican-controlled Senate Commerce Committee approved a measure to drop that requirement, and order years of new research to confirm the safety benefits of ECP brakes.

Canadian Pacific Hires Marsh as Sales VP

The appointment of Tim Marsh as senior vice president sales and marketing by Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd is aimed at bolstering its battered intermodal business, says a report from Globe and Mail. Marsh, who brings 25 years of international shipping industry sales and marketing experience, most recently served as executive VP North America Trade Division for Cosco Container Lines (COCSO), the global shipping giant. CP has lost some big intermodal customers to Canadian National Railway Co., and appears to be taking a big step toward winning new contracts in the business of handling containers that travel by ship, rail and truck. Marsh will lead a sales team that has recently lost the intermodal business of APL Ltd., Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, and Orient Overseas Container Line Ltd.