RAIL

Canadian National Railway maintains two main lines running north to Memphis, Tennessee. These branches run through Madison County. The lines converge in Jackson, where the railroad has a major terminal switching yard. The lines again diverge from Jackson to run south to New Orleans, Louisiana, and southeast to Mobile, Alabama, via Hattiesburg, Mississippi.

CN also operates an automotive facility in the metropolitan area that serves the four-state area of Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, and Louisiana. Jackson is the headquarters for one of CN's five divisions, the Gulf Division.

rail1CN is a leader in the North American rail industry. Following its acquisition of Illinois Central in 1999, WC in 2001 and GLT in 2004, as well as its partnership agreement with BC Rail in 2004, CN provides shippers with more options and greater reach in the rapidly expanding market for north-south trade.

CN has one of the best operating ratios in this industry and is committed to moving more freight, more quickly and with fewer assets.

CN is the only railroad which crosses the continent east-west and north-south, serving ports on the Atlantic, Pacific and Gulf coasts while linking customers to all three NAFTA nations.

CN revenues derive from the movement of a diversified and balanced portfolio of goods including petroleum and chemicals, grain and fertilizers, coal, metals and minerals, forest products, intermodal, and automotive.

Facts and Figures about CN:

  • Employed an average of 23,500 people in Canada and the United States.

  • Has 19,560 route-miles of track in Canada and the United States.

  • Earned CDN $5.9 billion in revenue in 2003.

  • 56% from U.S. domestic and cross-border traffic.

  • 19% from international traffic.

  • 25% from Canadian domestic traffic.

  • Stocks trade on the New York and Toronto stock exchanges.

  • Has one of the lowest operating ratio among Class 1 railroads based on 2003 year-end results (69.8%).

  • Operates the largest rail network in Canada and the only transcontinental network in North America. The company operates in eight Canadian provinces and 16 U.S. states.

  • Spans Canada and mid-America from the Atlantic and Pacific oceans to the Gulf of Mexico, serving the ports of Vancouver, Prince Rupert, B.C., Montreal, Halifax, New Orleans and Mobile, Ala., and the key cities of Toronto, Buffalo, Chicago, Detroit, Duluth, Minn./Superior, Wis., Green Bay, Wis., Minneapolis/St. Paul, Memphis, St. Louis, Jackson, Miss., with connections to all points in North America.

  • Has the shortest route from the Atlantic coast to the U.S. Midwest through the St. Clair Tunnel between Sarnia, ON, and Port Huron, MI.

  • Originates approximately 85% of traffic, allowing the company to capitalize on service advantages, efficient asset utilization and negotiations with other carriers on revenue division arrangements.