CN, CPR TO SHARE U.S., CANADA ROUTES

CN, CPR TO SHARE U.S., CANADA ROUTES    Canadian Pacific Railway Co. and Canadian National Railway Co. said Friday they have signed “co-production” agreements to share track in Ontario and the Midwest and Northeast United States.
   CN and CPR signed a five-year agreement providing CN with access to CPR's Northeastern U.S. network in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. CPR will move CN forest product traffic to distribution centers in New York and Albany, N.Y.; and Philadelphia and Scranton, Pa.
   “CN's use of CPR's Northeast network gives CN direct and quicker access to key U.S. markets for Quebec- and Atlantic Canada-produced forest products and important interchange connections in the Albany area and Pennsylvania,” said Keith Heller, senior vice president of CN's eastern Canada division. “Specifically, CN and CPR will jointly target the significant volume of Quebec forest products moving to the U.S. Northeast that now travels by road. This should reduce road congestion at New York state border points and on state highways.”
   CPR will interchange CN traffic with major U.S. railroads in Albany and Pennsylvania and with the New York and Atlantic Railroad at Long Island, N.Y.
   A second, three-year agreement provides CP with access to CN's Toronto/Chicago main line, where CP will route at least 14 merchandise and/or intermodal trains per week over CN's line between Canpa Junction in West Toronto or near London, Ontario and Chicago. CN runs about 175 freight trains per week over its Toronto/Chicago main line.
   “This co-production agreement will provide CPR with a better option for traffic to and from Chicago,” said Jacques Cote, president of CPR's eastern network. “As well, it will improve traffic flows through CPR's busy main line corridor west of Toronto.”
   CPR and CN earlier this year launched a cooperative venture in British Columbia, covering movements over a 155-mile stretch in Fraser Canyon, in which CN, CPR and VI Rail Canada Inc. westbound trains travel on CN's mainline between Basque/Nepa and Matsqui/Mission, east of Vancouver.
   CPR and CN also reached agreement earlier this year to consolidate track in Winnipeg, Edmonton, Ottawa and Toronto.