MONTREAL,
Dec. 3, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -
Claude Mongeau, president and chief
executive officer of CN (TSX: CNR) (NYSE: CNI), said today the
railway's reach, service, innovation, understanding of its
customers' markets and commitment to delivering safely make it a
true backbone of the economy.
Mongeau, speaking to the Board of Trade of
Metropolitan Montreal, said many are unaware of the significance of
CN and railways to their daily lives.
The fact is that CN moves more than C$250-billion worth of natural resources,
industrial products and consumer goods annually, making the company
"intimately and extensively involved in just about every sector of
the economy," Mongeau said.
Mongeau cited a range of ways in which CN
matters to the economy. In the West, CN and the rail industry are
"a pillar of Canadian grain competitiveness and a core part of a
supply chain that calls for continuous and dynamic engagement from
the Prairie countryside to the waterfront. Canadian railways are a
key part of the solution, offering rail freight rates that are
among the lowest in the world and a focus on service excellence
designed to help Canadian farmers win in global markets."
In the East, CN is extensively involved in
moving industrial products, Mongeau said. For example, CN touches a
substantial portion of the forest products and metals produced in
Quebec, providing timely access to
markets in the rest of Canada, the
U.S. and Mexico. CN concentrates
on the first and last mile of its interaction with customers,
delivering speed and reliability with a high level of car order
fulfillment.
CN is also intimately involved in the movement
of containers destined for consumer markets. "This is another area
where CN has introduced fundamental innovation, inviting all the
key players in the supply chain to participate in framework
collaboration agreements that open end-to-end visibility and focus
on joint performance metrics that break down silos and smooth the
flow of consumer goods."
Mongeau said safety is of the utmost importance
to CN, particularly with regard to the transportation of dangerous
goods that are critical to the economy and represent approximately
10 per cent of the railway's annual carloadings.
"As a backbone of the economy, we take our role
very seriously when we are entrusted to move such dangerous goods.
CN has an unwavering commitment to safety and we always aim to
deliver responsibly. Our safety record is solid and it has been
improving continuously for several years."
CN's safety focus is producing solid results.
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.
Mongeau concluded: "At CN, we are deeply
committed to playing our role as a backbone of the economy. We are
a proud team of 23,000 railroaders, fully engaged to remain the
leader in the industry and creating value for our customers and
shareholders."
For a copy of Mongeau's remarks, click on
www.cn.ca/boardoftradespeech.
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.
SOURCE CN