HOMEWOOD, ILLINOIS, U.S. — The Canadian National Railway (CN) plans to expand and strengthen in four U.S. states’ rail infrastructure, including Illinois, Louisiana, Wisconsin and Tennessee in 2019.
“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 Derek Taylor, vice-president of CN’s Southern Region.
Investments are part of CN’s 2019 record $2.9 billion capital investment focused on enabling growth from all commodity segments, including consumer goods, grain, agricultural, forest, and energy products from all customers, safely and efficiently. Over two years, CN will have made a $5.7 billion capital investment.
CN is deploying safety technologies across its network, such as Autonomous Track Inspection Program, Distributed Air Cars, and Automated Inspection Portals. CN said these implementations combined with its investments in locomotives, capacity, infrastructure, and train crews, will support the safe and efficient movement for customers’ goods to their end markets.
CN is investing $190 million in the Illinois rail network and its planned expansion projects includes:
- Investments for the development of the Positive Train Control System; and
- Investment in the Joliet Intermodal Terminal to provide additional capacity.
Maintenance program highlights include:
- Replacement of more than 11 miles of rail;
- Installation of approximately 88,000 new railroad ties;
- Rebuilds of 53 road crossing surfaces; and,
- Maintenance work on bridges, culverts, signal systems and other track infrastructure.
CN’s investment in Louisiana totals $95 million and the planned expansion projects include:
- Investments for the development of the Positive Train Control System; and
- Multi-year project to rebuild the two-mile-long bridge over the spillway near the southwest shore of Lake Pontchartrain.
Maintenance program highlights include:
- Replacement of more than 15 miles of rail;
- Installation of approximately 55,000 new railroad ties;
- Rebuilds of 18 road crossing surfaces; and,
- Maintenance work on bridges, culverts, signal systems and other track infrastructure.
CN plans to invest $100 million in Tennessee and the maintenance program highlights include:
- Replacement of more than 15 miles of rail;
- Installation of approximately 95,000 new railroad ties;
- Rebuilds of 17 road crossing surfaces; and,
- Maintenance work on bridges, culverts, signal systems and other track infrastructure.
The Wisconsin investment by CN includes $12 million and the planned expansion projects comprises of:
- Investments for the development of the Positive Train Control System; and
- Construction of 8 miles of double track near Hawthorne.
Maintenance program highlights include:
- Replacement of more than 35 miles of rail;
- Installation of approximately 90,000 new railroad ties;
- Rebuilds of 80 road crossing surfaces; and,
- Maintenance work on bridges, culverts, signal systems and other track infrastructure.
The U.S. investment comes after CN announced plans to expand and strengthen rail in five Canadian provinces in 2019: Saskatchewan, British Colombia, Alberta, Manitoba and Ontario.
The Canadian investments are part of CN’s 2019 record C$3.9 billion capital investment focused on enabling growth from all commodity segments, including consumer goods, grain, agricultural, forest, and energy products. Over two years, CN will have made a C$7.4 billion capital investment.
