CN, SIEMENS TO DEVELOP RAIL TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEM

CN, SIEMENS TO DEVELOP RAIL TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEM    Canadian National and Siemens Transportation Systems Inc. said Wednesday they plan to jointly develop and implement a rail traffic control system for the railroad's Canadian properties.
   CN and Siemens will each assign systems design and rail operations specialist to the project, which aims to give CN greater scheduling reliability over its more than 300 trains operating daily on 12,000 miles of track in Canada.
   The new system will be linked directly to CN's Service Reliability Strategy computer system, which provides scheduling and planning.
   The system will be installed at 46 traffic control workstations at CN rail traffic control centers in Montreal, Toronto and Edmonton. Development is to be completed in early 2004 with implementation of the system to be completed in late 2005.
   The system will employ modified Siemens VICOS and SINAUT Spectrum computer operating systems. CN's selection of Sacramento, Calif.-based Siemens 'paves the way to introduce Siemens' freight signaling and control technology to the North American railroad industry,' said Mark Pracht, the company's vice president of marketing and business.
   Montreal-based CN's rail network spans Canada and mid-America, with connections to all points in North America.