Approaching the end of first half of the crop year, the Company is moving grain at a record pace, exceeding previous record set in 2018-2019

MONTREAL, Jan. 04, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CN (TSX: CNR) (NYSE: CNI) is proud to announce that for the tenth consecutive month it has set a new record by shipping over 2.84 million metric tonnes (MMT) of Canadian grain and processed grain products via carload. This brings the volume of grain moved in the 2020-2021 crop year to-date via carload to 14.5 MMT, exceeding the previous all-time record pace volume by nearly 2 MMT, or over 15%. Moreover, CN remains on record pace for containerized grain shipments from western Canada.

"We are proud of the great efforts of our team of CN railroaders and those of our supply chain partners who, once again went above and beyond to move Canadian grain to markets. 2020 was a challenging year for everyone along the supply chain. Our dedicated employees and partners have demonstrated their resilience and courage in uncertain times. These record grain shipments are coming at the same time as CN is shipping very high volumes of many other commodities such as lumber, potash, propane and consumer goods. While we are proud of December’s results, we do not take them for granted and we will continue to work hard to safely move our customers’ goods.”

- Rob Reilly, Executive Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer at CN

CN's ability to meet the challenges that have arisen is largely the result of the significant investments made in recent years in track, locomotives, and railcars, including the purchase of 1,500 new high capacity grain hopper cars. These investments support the growth of our customers in grain and all the other commodity sectors we serve.

About CN
CN is a world-class transportation leader and trade-enabler. Essential to the economy, to the customers, and to the communities it serves, CN safely transports more than 300 million tons of natural resources, manufactured products, and finished goods throughout North America every year. As the only railroad connecting Canada’s Eastern and Western coasts with the Southern tip of the U.S. through a 19,500-mile rail network, CN and its affiliates have been contributing to community prosperity and sustainable trade since 1919. CN is committed to programs supporting social responsibility and environmental stewardship.

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