CN and Congebec partner to expand cold chain rail across North America

Canadian National Railway (CN) and Congebec have announced a new partnership to expand cold chain logistics across North America, unveiling plans to build a state-of-the-art temperature-controlled facility within CN’s Calgary Logistics Park. The project aims to bridge a long-standing gap between rail and cold storage, creating a more efficient and sustainable network for temperature-sensitive goods. The construction partner for this project will be Matthews Tribal. 

By embedding the facility directly within CN’s logistics hub, the partnership eliminates many of the inefficiencies that occur when freight transfers between transport modes. The collaboration blends CN’s rail infrastructure with Congebec’s expertise in refrigerated logistics to streamline the flow of perishables such as produce, proteins, and pharmaceuticals across Canada and the United States.

Carleigh Oude-Reimerink, Vice-President, Development. Matthews Tribal said in a press release, “We are proud to contribute our development expertise to a project that sets a new standard for cold chain logistics. This facility represents the kind of genuine partnership Matthews Tribal believes in—built on trust and creating lasting value. By combining our Calgary presence with CN’s network and Congebec’s cold chain expertise, we’re helping customers overcome real challenges while supporting long-term growth in Western Canada.”

For Congebec, one of Canada’s largest cold storage providers, the collaboration marks a major step toward building a connected, multimodal cold chain. Congebec President, Richard Patenaude, said “Working with CN on this new Calgary facility is a natural extension of our mission to provide reliable, sustainable cold chain solutions. By combining Congebec’s expertise in temperature-controlled logistics with CN’s expansive rail network, we’re giving customers the confidence to move their products anywhere they need to go, with efficiency and care.”