CN to add sidings

EDMONTON, Alberta: CN plans to construct new track in western Canada.

The five new sections will be extended sidings on the company’s BC North Line.

They are intended to help handle CN’s growing freight volumes along the Edmonton-to-Prince Rupert corridor. Last year, over half a million intermodal and carload units were transported along that route, and CN is predicting traffic volumes will double by 2015.

Keith Creel, CN executive vice-president and chief operating officer explained where the growth in freight is originating.

“CN’s sizable investments in rail infrastructure in northern BC and western Alberta are helping us accommodate growing import-export traffic moving between the Port of Prince Rupert, the BC interior and major centres across CN’s network in Canada and the United States. The investments will also help us better move rising export coal volumes from existing and new mines in the region to Ridley Terminals at Prince Rupert, whose handling capacity is expected to double by the end of 2014 to 24 million tonnes.

“The longer sidings increase the fluidity of operations in this major CN freight corridor and allow us to haul increased volumes in safer, more efficient trains equipped with distributed power (DP) technology.”

The siding are scheduled for construction this year, and the company has plans to build future sidings in coming years.