Canadian National Railway said it will acquire more than 2,200 new freight cars and 1,300 containers in 2012 to support traffic growth and improve customer service.
Jean-Jacques Ruest, executive vice president and chief marketing officer, said the new equipment is for “a range of markets, including forest products, metals, minerals, coal, iron ore, steel, consumer goods, finished vehicles, and grain. These fleet additions will help us grow in line with our customers’ demands and ensure CN has the right mix of modern, productive assets.”
The purchases include:
- 600 double-door, 60-foot, boxcars for forest products and metals. (The railroad said these higher payload cars help improve customer loading efficiency.)
- 1,300 containers for grocery and consumer goods.
- 558 high-capacity covered hoppers for grain exports.
- 317 multilevel cars for finished vehicles.
- 300 gondolas for coal exports.
- 232 new cars for pelletized iron ore produced in Minnesota to supply steel mills in the United States.
- 200 multi-purpose boxcars for the North American freight car pool. – Chris Dupin
