MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA — CN announced on Jan. 14 that its acquisition of Iowa Northern Railway Co. (IANR) has been approved by the US Surface Transportation Board (STB), adding 175 route miles to CN’s nearly 20,000-mile rail network.

CN said a combined CN-IANR will offer single-line service to better connect grain, fertilizer, renewable fuels and industrial markets to its North American network, while customers and local businesses along the IANR network will benefit from new optionality to respond to the needs of their existing markets and accelerate growth in new markets.

“We recognize and thank the STB for its commitment to a rigorous process that has yielded the right outcome,” said Tracy Robinson, president and chief executive officer, CN. “We look forward to welcoming the team at Iowa Northern Railway into our CN family of railroaders, and we are carefully preparing for a successful integration.

“We are excited to grow our network, offering customers, farmers and our supply chain partners with single-line access to new markets. This is an important step in our growth plan, reinforcing our commitment to providing customers with exceptional rail service and powering the economy.”

Daniel Sabin, chairman of Waterloo, Iowa, US-based IANR, called the deal “a milestone in my 55-year career.”

“I am proud of what Iowa Northern’s employees and customers have built and their important role in Iowa’s economy,” said Sabin, who has managed IANR since 1994. “I am also excited about the benefits of our combination for customers, employees and the communities we serve.”

The IANR serves 20 grain elevators, two ethanol plants, two mineral processing facilities, and handles other commodities such as fertilizer, farm machinery, food, chemicals, lumber and more. It is the serving carrier to Manly Terminal, which is a liquids storage and transloading facility, serving biofuel production industries handling fuels, chemicals and co-products, located in the heart of ethanol production in the United States.

CN, one of North America’s six Class I railroads, transports more than 300 million tonnes of natural resources, manufactured products, and finished goods annually. It connects Canada’s Eastern and Western coasts with the US Midwest and the Gulf of Mexico.