Municipalities or Utility Companies wishing to construct a utility crossing or parallelism under or over the Railway should follow the proper procedures that meets Railway and Government Standards.

US

Procedures for a Pipeline Installation on Railroad property:

1. The pipeline crossing form (PDF 18.63KB) should be printed out and completed in its entirety.
2. The completed application should conform to the railroad standards for pipeline crossings, which are defined in the pipeline specifications (PDF 294.06KB) document.
3. CN might require flagging (PDF 243KB), cable locate (PDF 243KB). CN will require insurance (PDF 19.84KB) for the work performed on the property. All contractors should be aware of these requirements.
4. All completed documents should be submitted to the proper railroad representative. Select the proper contact from the engineering contacts (PDF 18.24KB) document. This person should also be contacted for any questions or assistance needed in this process.

Procedures for a Wireline Installation on Railroad property:

1. The wireline crossing form (PDF 24.52KB) should be printed out and completed in its entirety.
2. The completed application should conform to the railroad standards for wireline crossings, which are defined in the wireline specifications (PDF 145.30KB) document.
3. CN might require flagging (PDF 243KB), cable locate (PDF 243KB), and/or insurance (PDF 19.84KB) for the work performed on the property. All contractors should be aware of these requirements.
4. All completed documents should be submitted to the proper railroad representative. Select the proper contact from the engineering contacts (PDF 18.24KB) document. This person should also be contacted for any questions or assistance needed in this process.

Western Canada

• Gas and oil (pipe) process (PDF 550KB)
• Water and Sewer (pipe) process (PDF 1.0MB)
• Electrical (wire) process (PDF 660KB)
• Communication (wire) process (PDF 476 KB)
• Contractors safety guidelines (PDF 88KB)

Eastern Canada - Ontario

• Communication - General Guidelines (PDF 112KB)
• Communication - Sample Drawings (PDF 298 KB)
• Electrical - General Guidelines (PDF 112 KB)
• Electrical - Sample Drawings (PDF 438 KB)
• Gas/Oil Pipeline - General Guidelines (PDF 135 KB)
• Gas/Oil Pipeline  - Sample Drawings (PDF 314 KB)
• Water/Sewer Pipeline- General Guidelines (PDF 132 KB)
• Water/Sewer Pipeline - Sample Drawings (PDF 793 KB)

Contact phone number:

Engineering Services 
Phone: 905-669-3184

In Canada, under the Canada Transportation Act, municipalities or utility companies wishing to construct a utility (pipe or wire) crossing under or over a railway line no longer need to obtain an order from the agency authorizing construction. Instead, the party is expected to reach a negotiated agreement with the railway covering all construction and maintenance issues, including cost apportionment.