MONTREAL,
Nov. 28, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — CN (TSX:
CNR) (NYSE: CNI) announced today a special program to acquire
additional monitoring equipment to enhance its strong technological
base for early detection of defects.
Jim Vena, CN executive vice-president and chief
operating officer, said: "We're stepping up our inspection and
detection capabilities. We've had a major push in recent years to
increase the number and quality of track, wheel and bearings
inspections that help prevent accidents. This has positioned us
well in the rail industry. With this program, we intend to go
further when it comes to safe rail operations."
At a cost of C$10
million, the program will include the
acquisition/installation of:
- Thirty new Wayside Equipment System units that detect hot
bearings, hot wheels and dragging equipment;
- A new track geometry test car to monitor the position,
curvature and alignment of track;
- An optical track inspection system that uses imaging to
identify defects;
- More than 30 new brittle bar detectors that identify and flag
derailed equipment to train crews, and
- Controlled signaling on certain key rail sidings in our most
heavily used corridors to alert crews and dispatchers to broken
rail incidents.
CN has more wayside detection technology than
any other railway in North America
and has increased that capability by 30 per cent over the past five
years. CN has also increased the frequency of its ultrasonic rail
flaw inspection by 70 per cent over the past five years.
Vena said: "The application of new detection
equipment and modern safety technologies will improve the coverage
of our network. The technology we're deploying will keep us ahead
of the industry in this field and strengthen our solid safety
performance even further. Advanced technology, rigorous safety
process and the continued strengthening of our safety culture are
the key foundations of our unwavering commitment to safety.
"Our safety focus is producing solid results.
CN's main-track accidents declined by more than 50 per cent between
2002 and 2012, a year in which CN recorded the fewest such
accidents in its history. That's a good performance but we know we
can, and have to do better still."
CN is a true backbone of the economy,
transporting approximately C$250
billion worth of goods annually for a wide range of business
sectors, ranging from resource products to manufactured products to
consumer goods, across a rail network spanning Canada and mid-America. CN - Canadian National
Railway Company, along with its operating railway subsidiaries --
serves the cities and ports of Vancouver, Prince
Rupert, B.C., Montreal,
Halifax, New Orleans, and Mobile, Ala., and the metropolitan areas of
Toronto, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Calgary, Chicago, Memphis, Detroit, Duluth,
Minn./Superior, Wis., and
Jackson, Miss., with connections
to all points in North America.
For more information on CN, visit the company's website at
www.cn.ca.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain information included in this news
release is "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the
United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and
under Canadian securities laws. CN cautions that, by their nature,
these forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties and
assumptions. The Company cautions that its assumptions may not
materialize and that current economic conditions render such
assumptions, although reasonable at the time they were made,
subject to greater uncertainty. Such forward-looking statements are
not guarantees of future performance and involve known and unknown
risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual
results or performance of the Company or the rail industry to be
materially different from the outlook or any future results or
performance implied by such statements.
Important risk factors that could affect the
forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the
effects of general economic and business conditions, industry
competition, inflation, currency and interest rate fluctuations,
changes in fuel prices, legislative and/or regulatory developments,
compliance with environmental laws and regulations, actions by
regulators, various events which could disrupt operations,
including natural events such as severe weather, droughts, floods
and earthquakes, labor negotiations and disruptions, environmental
claims, uncertainties of investigations, proceedings or other types
of claims and litigation, risks and liabilities arising from
derailments, and other risks detailed from time to time in reports
filed by CN with securities regulators in Canada and the
United States. Reference should be made to "Management's
Discussion and Analysis" in CN's annual and interim reports, Annual
Information Form and Form 40-F filed with Canadian and U.S.
securities regulators, available on CN's website, for a summary of
major risks.
CN assumes no obligation to update or revise
forward-looking statements to reflect future events, changes in
circumstances, or changes in beliefs, unless required by applicable
Canadian securities laws. In the event CN does update any
forward-looking statement, no inference should be made that CN will
make additional updates with respect to that statement, related
matters, or any other forward-looking statement.
SOURCE CN
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