MONTREAL, Feb. 26, 2014 /CNW Telbec/ - CN (TSX: CNR) (NYSE: CNI) is
reaching out to municipalities along its North American rail network to
review its safety practices, share relevant information on dangerous
goods traffic and discuss emergency response planning.
Claude Mongeau, president and chief executive, said: "A full 99.998 per
cent of CN and rail industry movements of dangerous goods - many of
which are essential to the North American economy and communities
across the continent -- arrive at their destination without a release
caused by an accident.
"That being said, CN understands that municipalities feel they need more
transparency and information sharing from railways about the dangerous
commodities moving through their communities. And that's why we
launched a comprehensive outreach program last fall with communities
along our network in Canada, and are now launching a similar program
this year in the United States.
"Under our engagement program, CN is approaching municipal officials and
their emergency responders to ensure that they have contact information
for appropriate CN officials as well as targeted information that will
assist them in their emergency response planning. In many cases, this
outreach includes face-to-face meetings, during which we discuss CN's
comprehensive safety programs and solid safety performance, the nature,
volume and economic importance of dangerous commodities we transport
through their communities, and review emergency response planning. We
also arrange to conduct training sessions for emergency responders when
requested.
"To date, we have reached out to the vast majority of communities on our
network in Canada. In addition, we've held close to 100 meetings with
communities in Canada, predominantly the larger ones, and will be
reaching out to many more municipalities this year in both Canada and
the U.S."
CN's outreach program will involve almost 1,100 communities in Canada
and approximately 870 communities in the U.S.
The CN engagement program supplements the Canadian government's November
2013 protective direction, which requires major railways to provide
municipalities with yearly aggregate information, presented by quarter,
on the nature and volume of dangerous goods the company transports
through the communities.
The outreach builds on CN's involvement in the Transportation Community Awareness and Emergency Response
(TRANSCAER®), through which the company has been working for many years
to help communities in Canada and the United States understand the
movement of hazardous materials and what is required in the event of
transportation incidents. TRANSCAER members consist of volunteer
representatives from the chemical manufacturing, transportation,
distributor, and emergency response industries, as well as government.
Mongeau added: "CN has an unwavering commitment to safety and always
strives to deliver responsibly. In 2013, CN reduced its accident rate
per million train miles by nine per cent, the latest sign of long-term
gains in safety. In the past 10 years, CN's main-track accidents have
declined by approximately 50 per cent despite increased freight
volumes."
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