To support the North American economy and get our customers' goods delivered on time, CN must operate the railroad 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Today, many municipalities have expanded ever closer to railway tracks while CN is carrying a lot more freight to meet global shipping needs.

CN's Property Planning and Development Program provides relevant information for land-use decision makers. The program helps to ensure that any development adjacent to a railway corridor or yard includes appropriate mitigation measures that reduce the impact of rail noise and vibration. Some examples of these physical protection measures include building setbacks, safety beams, acoustic barriers, security fencing, vibration isolation, and building construction.

Joint efforts with organizations such as the Railway Association of Canada, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, and the Canadian Association of Municipal Administrators have led to much progress in this area.