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Coal

Ready for a pop quiz? Name two different types of coal and describe their uses. If you said metallurgical coal and thermal coal, you would be right. They can, respectively, be used in the steel and power generation industry. At CN, we ship both and more, as we also ship petroleum coke

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Gurpreet Khaira
Director, Sales & Marketing

403-299-0665

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From coal mine to ship

45 million tonnes - That is how much coal CN ships, on average, every year. That's a lot of coal. With access to over 13 mines and seven petroleum coke producing facilities in the U.S. and Canada and the high-capacity terminals we serve, we connect North American coal producers to markets around the world.

Our Competitive Advantage

Shipping Capacity

We ship enough coal every year to fill about 3 million swimming pools, and we could fill a lot more! We have access to multiple high capacity terminal such as Ridley, Westshore and Neptune are three of our 17 terminals which can accommodate high volumes destined to China, Korea, India or Japan.

Extended Reach

We offer you access to our unique three-coast network to get your coal products to key markets in Canada and the U.S or overseas to Asia or Europe.

The Triple Threat

We have the speed, the reach and the capacity to expand your market. No we do not go to the moon yet, but we can definitely take you there with our high level of service and our professionalism.

Services

CN is well-prepared to get your coal at destination!

We can ship thermal coal from various origins in the U.S. and Canada to either reach local markets or travel as far as Europe and Asia with a network that spans three coasts.

Quick Access to Asia

Did you know that Prince Rupert has a 10-day supply chain advantage to the Asian market? Look at our transit times to Asia.

Coal Supply Chain Approach

We have developed a comprehensive supply-chain approach - a series of clear metrics highlighting coal inventories at mine and port, the arrival date of vessels, the amount of coal being shipped from mines, and the number of trains in transit to and from the mines.

Supply Chain Approach

We can measure the amount of coal on hand, on the train and at the port and adapt our train schedule and frequency to a specific vessel schedule.

Equipment & Innovation

Get the right fit for your product

CN owns and operates the largest equipment fleet in Canada. We have the quantity and variety of equipment you need to meet your transportation requirements for safe, damage-free shipping!

View all equipment

Aluminum Railcars

Aluminum railcars that transports more coal then the steel railcars.
Details coming soon

Rotary Gondola

These specialized heavy-duty cars can be loaded and unloaded in minutes without being uncoupled. The capacity of these rotary gondolas ranges from 100 tons (steel) to 117 tons (aluminum).
Download specifications (PDF)

Rapid Discharge /
Rotary Dump Cars

These specialized heavy-duty cars can either be unloaded through rotary dumping or through rapid discharge, bottom dump. The capacity of these cars is 117 tons.
Download specifications (PDF)

Open Hopper

Open hopper cars offer a fast, economical way to load and unload bulk freight. They can be loaded to 100 tons.
Download specifications (PDF)

How to read a freight car

All Equipment

Education

42% of the world’s electricity comes from coal

This is just one of the interesting facts you can learn about coal. For interesting information on coal production and markets that can benefit your business, view the World Coal Association website

Price and Tariffs

Ready to ship?

The first step towards getting your goods to destination is getting a price.

View all tariffs

Check out our competitive offers.

Price Documents (tariffs) – Quick access to all public tariffs

Get a price - Calculate how much it will cost to move your automotive goods to destination.

Fuel surcharge tariffs – Detailed information on fuel surcharge tariffs, including the surcharge, history and the policy

Optional services – Services that go beyond the basic hauling of freight, such as asset use (demurrage), in-plant switching, diversion, and the Car Order program

Here are other tariffs that may be relevant to your business:

RIC 6007 - For the movement of private railcars in the U.S.

CN 6544 - For the movement of private railcars in Canada

CN 9004 - Unit Train Services

CN 9000 - Includes a full listing of optional services and prices.

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