CN announces it has placed an order for 1,000 new generation, high-capacity grain hopper cars.
These innovative new railcars, to be built in a TrinityRail manufacturing plant in Mexico, will help meet the growing needs of North American grain farmers and demands of grain customers.
CN leads the industry in moving grain, and the TrinityRail order is part of a larger program to build and renew a fleet of 6,000 hopper railcars over the next three years. CN recently made a formal offer to acquire Kansas City Southern, a fellow Class I railway.
The combination would extend the span of CN’s network from Canada and the U.S. into Mexico, making it the first railroad to link North America’s three national economies.
“These cars will be manufactured in Mexico and will help move more grain across the CN rail network, which continues to make CN the embodiment of a true USMCA railroad," says JJ Ruest, president and CEO. "Being an engine of North American economic growth and prosperity means that CN focuses continually on making strategic investments.
"Adding these 1,000 new generation hopper cars to our fleet is a prime example of that. In addition to our superior proposal to combine with KCS, this is a step further in our vision of seamlessly connecting ports and rails in the United States, Mexico and Canada and of providing superior service, enhanced competition and new market
Rob Reilly, executive vice president and COO, says CN’s grain movement has been resilient during the pandemic, achieving 14 straight months of record Canadian grain volume shipments.
"The dedication of our railroaders as well as our agri-food and supply chain partners has been key to this exceptional performance," says Reilly. "By purchasing additional hopper cars, we are strengthening our commitment to grain farmers, grain customers, and the overall supply chain to support and expand our movement of grain to international markets as demand continues to increase.”
CN's continued ability to deliver record volumes of grain shipments is largely due to investments made by the company over the past few years to improve safety and network fluidity. The purchase of these lighter, shorter, high capacity rail cars will enable CN to move more grain, with less equipment, supporting the company’s focus on better serving customers by providing safe, efficient, low carbon freight transportation services. CN is the most fuel-efficient railway in North America, using 15% less fuel per gross ton mile than the industry average. In 2020, CN’s actions to reduce emissions, mitigate climate risks and to develop the low-carbon economy resulted in CN being one of only three Canadian companies listed on CDP’s prestigious Climate A List. The partnership with TrinityRail will continue to help CN maintain its commitment to a cleaner connected continent.
About CN
CN transports more than 300 million tons of natural resources, manufactured products, and finished goods throughout North America every year.
