The Canadian resumes transcontinental schedule

Somewhere near the photo-worn steel trestle at Miniota, Manitoba, Via Rail’s eastbound and westbound Canadians will meet Sunday, April 12, 2015 for the first time since a pair of mid-winter oil train explosions closed CN’s transcontinental main line through northern Ontario.

Via Rail pondering alternative Ontario routing for suspended Canadian

After months of late arrivals due to track congestion on CN’s northern Ontario main line, compounded by slow orders arising from CN’s efforts to recover from two tar sands oil train explosions, Via Rail is examining an alternative routing for the Canadian,the continent’s last classic streamliner, originally Canadian Pacific’s premier luxury passenger train.

CN slates new Milton intermodal and logistics hub

CN announced March 17, 2015 a plan to build a C$250 million intermodal and logistics hub adjacent to its main line in Milton, Ont., located approximately 30 miles west of Toronto.

Port of Prince Rupert expanding intermodal capacity

Maher Terminals Holding Corp., an affiliate of Maher Terminals LLC of Elizabeth, N.J.
, will expand the capacity of the Port of Prince Rupert’s Fairview Container Terminal to more than 1.3 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) annually, from the current annual container-handling capacity of approximately 850,000 TEUs.

Unifor threatening to strike CN

Unifor, the largest union at CN, with more than 4,800 members (mechanics, clerical workers, excavator operators, locomotive engineers, and truck drivers) covered by six collective agreements, said on Feb. 19, 2015 that it will be commencing strike votes at CN as of early the week of Feb. 23 “after five months of futile negotiations.” The union’s current collective agreement expired on Dec. 31, 2014, and negotiations had been taking place since September.

CN to Unifor: We won’t fill your political trough

CN said on Feb. 18, 2015 that the Unifor union, which represents approximately 4,800 CN employees in mechanical, intermodal, clerical and other areas in Canada, “continues to reject a fair company offer to reach a new collective agreement in line with settlements it has negotiated with three other unions.”

Oil train mishaps reveal tank car strengths and limitations

Two same-day derailments of crude oil trains in Canada and a third in West Virginia two days later illustrate the strengths and limitations of the newest general-purpose tank cars plying North American rails.

CN: “Record-setting grain movements”

CN “is continuing its record-setting pace of grain movements and remains fully in sync with the grain supply chain in Western Canada,” President and CEO Claude Mongeau said on Feb. 9, 2015.
Commentary

Canada: Grasping government tightens grip on grain

Canada’s Conservative government extended its takeover of railway grain movements Nov. 29, ordering CN and Canadian Pacific to shift specified quantities of grain each week throughout the winter, or be fined $100,000 per violation.

CN reports record 3Q 2014 results

CN has reported record financial and operating results for the third quarter and nine-month period ended Sept. 30, 2014.
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