CN Issues 2021-22 Winter Plan

CN has published “2021-22 Winter Plan—All in Together,” which serves as a framework for ensuring the Class I railroad meets customer and stakeholder needs.

The plan (download below) outlines the challenges CN faces operating in Canadian winter conditions and sets out the actions it has implemented to enable the maintenance of safe, efficient operations through the winter “at a level acceptable” to the needs of all customers, according to the railroad. This includes a slated investment of nearly $3 billion in 2021 on key infrastructure projects and equipment renewal.

“Extreme conditions are inevitable in Canada, and increasingly so as the planet deals with a changing climate,” CN President and CEO JJ Ruest wrote in the plan. “Again this year, we are applying the many lessons learned in the past. We will work with our customers to create accurate and timely forecasts of volumes and shipping patterns. These forecasts are essential to our resource and demand planning, especially given the fluctuations in business levels during these uncertain times. In that regard, we recognize the extremely dry conditions experienced by Western grain farmers in 2021 and the negative effects they have had on crop production for the start of the 2021–2022 crop year. This will impact grain shipment volumes during winter 2021-2022. We will continue to align all components of the supply chain, from manufacturers to ports and yards, for the benefit of our customers and the economic recovery of Canada. And we will do so safely.”