CN, NS launch new joint service aimed at reducing transit times around Chicago

Class I railroads Canadian National (CN) and Norfolk Southern (NS) have established a joint interline service to bypass interchange points in the historically congested rail hub of Chicago, reducing transit times by up to 48 hours.    Canadian National (CN) Railways and Norfolk Southern (NS) Corp., have launched a new joint interline service initiative aimed at reduce transit times by one to two days for carload traffic in and around Chicago, according to a joint statement from the companies.
   The interline service was first established in August and allows freight to bypass interchange points in Chicago, CN and NS said. The service entails two eastbound and two westbound manifest trains interchanging daily through greater Chicago, connecting CN’s network in Western Canada and Norfolk Southern’s network in the Eastern U.S. as part of the new service.
   Traffic is interchanging at Norfolk Southern’s major rail yard in Elkhart, Ind., thus avoiding extra handlings in the Chicago terminal. Since its initiation, the service has reduced transit times by up to 2 days, according to the railroads.
   “Together, CN and NS have re-engineered our Chicago connections to provide shippers with a new superior-service shipping option. Customers on both railways are seeing faster and more reliable service, benefiting their supply chains,” said Norfolk Southern CEO Jim Squires,and echoed by CN CEO Luc Jobin.
   Chicago has struggled for years with bottlenecks as it is a major freight hub between Western Canada and the Eastern U.S. As a result, CN and NS continue to explore adding additional traffic to the new interline service.