CN ASSISTS CANADIAN SHORT-LINE’s UPGRADE

CN ASSISTS CANADIAN SHORT-LINEÆS UPGRADE    Canadian National said it has created an assistance package to help Kelowna Pacific Railway finance track capacity increases and build a rail-truck reload center for new business.
   CN said it will finance the new reload center in Winfield, British Columbia, and purchase new rail ties to permit KPR to transport cars weighing as much as 143 tons.
   'CN's aid package will improve KPR's ability to capture additional traffic,' said David Edison, vice president of CN's Pacific division. 'This is also good news for CN, because our short-line partners are significant originators of CN traffic and key to our growth strategy.'
   KPR operates 104 miles of track in the interior of British Columbia, from Lumby and Kelowna through Vernon, to an interchange with CN at Kamloops, B.C.
   KPR began operating CN's Okanagan Internal Shortline in February 2000 and saw traffic increase nearly 20 percent in 2001. The short-line's customers are primarily in the forest products, grain and industrial products industries.
   KPR is a joint venture of KnightHawk Rail, a wholly owned subsidiary of KnightHawk Inc. and the New York and Lake Erie Railroad.