As important safety milestone is met, CN on track for achieving interoperability with all remaining tenant railroads next year

CHICAGO, Nov. 25, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CN (TSX: CNR)(NYSE: CNI) announced today that it has successfully met the federal requirement to operate Positive Train Control (PTC) on all 35 of its U.S. subdivisions required to be equipped with PTC. This important achievement comes 13 months ahead of the December 2020 deadline.

“This milestone is a testament to the tenacious dedication of our CN railroading family,” said Rob Reilly, executive vice-president and chief operating officer. “It has been a tremendous journey, full of challenges, and obstacles we overcame.”

PTC is a safety overlay designed to prevent certain accidents resulting from human error, such as overspeed derailments. The system can initiate a full service brake application to stop a train if the crew does not take action. It is the largest technology program deployed in CN history and is a major investment in our network.

CN is currently interoperable with Amtrak, CSX, NS, BNSF, CP and WSOR. It expects to become fully interoperable with all tenant railroads by December 31, 2020. 

The implementation of PTC across the railroad sets the framework and architecture for future technological advancements. PTC is the catalyst that advanced technology, processes, tools, and training capabilities and has fundamentally changed the way CN operates its rail network.

“We can be proud that we met our regulatory targets and implemented a broad new portfolio of innovative technologies in geospatial information systems, location tracking, data analytics, machine learning, automation, a new dispatching system and safety and reliability engineering.” Reilly stated.

CN is a true backbone of the economy transporting more than C$250 billion worth of goods annually for a wide range of business sectors, ranging from resource products to manufactured products to consumer goods, across a rail network of approximately 20,000 route-miles spanning Canada and mid-America. CN – Canadian National Railway Company, along with its operating railway subsidiaries – serves the cities and ports of Vancouver, Prince Rupert, B.C., Montreal, Halifax, New Orleans, and Mobile, Ala., and the metropolitan areas of Toronto, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Calgary, Chicago, Memphis, Detroit, Duluth, Minn./Superior, Wis., and Jackson, Miss., with connections to all points in North America. For more information about CN, visit the Company’s website at www.cn.ca.