Railroad News

More than 1,500 first responders along CN's network have downloaded the AskRail mobile app to access real-time information about the contents of rail cars in their communities, the Class I announced today.

Emergency responders are the only people eligible to sign up for the app, which was developed by the Association of American Railroads. The app enables responders to view rail-car contents through a simple search, and provides railway emergency contact information and reference resources to support incident response.

CN will donate $5 million (in Canadian dollars) to assist communities with resettling thousands of Syrian refugees across Canada, the Class I announced last week.

In the coming days, the railroad will join with the Canadian Chamber of Commerce and other Canadian business leaders to direct funds to assist with the refugees' housing and other needs, CN officials said in a press release.

A wheel set issue was behind the derailment of a CN train near Brockville, Ontario, in July 2014, the Transportation Safety Board (TSB) announced in its investigation report yesterday.

The 26 derailed cars included 13 Class 111 tank cars containing aviation fuel residue. A small amount of product was released, and no injuries were reported, the TSB said in a press release.

A Canadian environmental agency has allocated funds to four applicants that want to be involved in an environmental assessment of CN's proposed intermodal and logistics hub in Milton, Ontario.

The Canadian agency allocated a total $203,122.90 (in Canadian dollars) to the following applicants: Halton Region Conservation Authority ($21,800); Milton Says No ($7,200); Mississaugas of New Credit First Nation ($95,600); and Nation Huronne-Wendat ($78,522.90), according to a press release from the agency.