CN, Norfolk Southern announce routing protocol agreement

CN, Norfolk Southern announce routing protocol agreement    Canadian National Railway Co. and Norfolk Southern Railway (NSR) announced Monday a structured routing protocol designed to improve network capacity, transit times and asset utilization for through rail car movements, by directing rail traffic through the most efficient interchange locations.
   The major interchange points for traffic moving between CN and NSR are Rouses Point, Buffalo, Detroit, Toledo, Chicago, Memphis, New Orleans, and Mobile.
   CN and NSR said the agreement will be implemented over the next three months and will result in a number of changes including:
   * Traffic between the Louisiana gulf and the U.S. Northeast will be interchanged directly at New Orleans or Memphis.
   * Western Canada traffic to and from the south-central United States will be interchanged at Memphis
   * The parties will expand the use of the new Rouses Point gateway agreement announced in November 2004 to further handle traffic between Eastern Canada and the southeastern U.S.