CN's commitment to the reduction of air pollutants, including greenhouse gas emissions, takes place on several levels. First and most important, the commitment can be seen in the way CN operates the railroad, in constant pursuit of efficiency and reduction of waste.

Precision Railroading

CN operates a Precision Railroad, which demands highly precise planning for all facets of railroad operations coupled with disciplined execution. The underlying goal of Precision Railroading is to ensure the most reliable and efficient movement of freight.

With Precision Railroading, fewer railcars and locomotives are needed to ship the same amount of freight in a tight, effective and efficient operation. Precision Railroading means greater reliability for customers and less impact on the environment.

Intermodal

For customers who do not have direct access to rail, using both truck (for the short haul) and rail (for the long haul), represents a significant opportunity to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions associated with truck-only shipping.

CN has a large network of intermodal terminals across North America. Our innovative IMX model has enabled CN to become one of the most efficient intermodal railroads in North America.

View locations of CN's Intermodal terminals and ports across North America. View the map.

Co-production

Co-production refers to a cooperative effort between railroads to share track and rail infrastructure in an effort to improve the flow of traffic and maximize efficiencies for both carriers. For example, CN and CPR share track in British Columbia whereby all westbound trains of both railroads, usually carrying heavy commodities, operate over the CN line and all eastbound trains of both railroads, usually transporting lighter loads, operate over the CPR line. Fuel is saved by the single direction trains, as well as by trains using routes with the lowest grades to carry heavy loads.

Routing protocols

CN has a series of routing protocols with its U.S. partners which establishes the most efficient gateways for routing traffic between railroads –regardless of ownership. The routing protocols improve both transit time and asset utilization making the most efficient use of existing capacity and eliminating excess miles travelled on inefficient routings.

CN has routing protocol agreements with six Class 1 North American railways. The protocol with Norfolk Southern, for example, saves approximately 330 miles and 18-24 hours of transit time for CN traffic travelling from the Québec City area to Charlotte, North Carolina.

Precision Railroading Intermodal, Co-production and Routing Protocols are just some of the innovative initiatives that are helping to reduce our fuel consumption and related air emissions while we move goods to market. Read about other key initiatives.