CN to Spend $430 Million on Western Tracks

Tuesday, March 18, 2008 10:48 AM

Prince George, B.C. - CN has announced it plans to invest approximately $430 million in rail infrastructure projects in Western Canada this year to maintain a safe railway and improve the productivity and fluidity of its network.

"A substantial portion of the money will go to lines in B.C.'s north" says spokesman Mark Hallam, "CN views this as a great opportunity, its a brand new gateway for a sea port and we want to upgrade our B.C. north line to serve the Port of Prince Rupert. While we have no specifics right now, the area such as the oil sands in Northern Alberta, the industrial area north of Edmonton, and the CN line to Prince Rupert will form an important part of that spending."

CN’s capital spending in its Western Region is targeted at replacement of rail, ties and other track materials, and bridge improvements.

Jim Vena, senior vice-president, Western Region, said: “Our investments in rail infrastructure will ensure plant quality and safety, build capacity and speed, and improve the productivity of our operations.”

CN’s Western Region capital program is part of a plan to invest approximately $1.5 billion company-wide in 2008, of which more than $1.1 billion will be focused on track infrastructure. Equipment spending, targeted to reach approximately $140 million in 2008, will include the acquisition of new fuel-efficient locomotives, as well as improvements to the existing fleet. CN also expects to spend approximately $250 million on facilities to grow the business, including transloads and distribution centers, information technology to improve service and operating efficiency, and other projects to increase productivity.

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Posted on Tuesday, March 18, 2008 10:48 AM in News by 250 News

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Comments

Posted by: Harbinger on March 18 2008 11:10 AM

There's that word again, "infrastructure". Four syllables and being a ten dollar word doesn't impress me. Gonna to go out now and dig some snow off of my "infrastructure".

Posted by: Harbinger on March 18 2008 11:11 AM

off of my infrastructure? Or off my infrastructure? I am so lost if I'm not sure of my correct English.

Posted by: whineo on March 18 2008 12:01 PM

Hmmm, wow! does this mean service? like trains on time? enough of them? does this mean we won't have to store Pulp and OSB outside? or do production shuts?

Posted by: BCRacer on March 18 2008 12:19 PM

No it means, now they might, repeat, might be able to keep the trains on the tracks...but I doubt it somehow....

Posted by: Andyfreeze on March 18 2008 12:42 PM

Will this include building more cars to fix the shortages?

Posted by: thereasonableman on March 18 2008 2:50 PM

It will probably involve putting turn signals on the trains. It will increase safety to be able to signal turns when they leave the tracks.

Posted by: camoose on March 18 2008 3:45 PM

Wouldn't it be cheaper to have the engineers taught the proper use of hand signals? Should be cheaper than installing turn signals on all the locomotives.

Posted by: michael on March 18 2008 4:31 PM

Good to hear something positive for the economy in these times.

Posted by: Palopu on March 18 2008 9:33 PM

This infrastructure spending is work that should have been done over the past 15 years and wasnt. What they are doing now is playing **Catch Up** because if they dont the whole system will collapse.

To suggest that Prince Rupert is a brand new gateway for a seaport when it has been exporting products like coal, copper concentrates, lumber, wheat, pulp, etc for the past 100 years is ludicrous.

These announcements put out by the PR Guru's and Sales Managers are for the edification of the weak minded, and no self respecting Canadian with a modicum of a brain would beleive it for a minute.