Amtrak and CN sign eight-year deal, ending STB case filed in 2013

A new eight-year Amtrak-CN operating agreement has ended a Surface Transportation Board (STB) case that Amtrak opened in 2013 over the terms for its trains on CN’s US lines.

CN’s US rail subsidiaries, Illinois Central Railroad Company and Grand Trunk Western Railroad Company, and Amtrak announced the agreements on September 16, 2026. The eight-year operating agreement governs Amtrak services on CN-owned rail lines, including the City of New Orleans, Illini/Saluki and Wolverine. The announcement did not disclose financial terms.

Payments, timetable reviews and crossing equipment

The new terms revise the performance payment system to align it more closely with the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) on-time performance standard. The agreement also provides for periodic reviews of Amtrak timetables and sets procedures for handling operating problems and settling disputes.

CN and Amtrak will also work together on a process for equipping Amtrak trains operating on CN’s network with Onboard Shunt Enhancers (OSEs). The technology improves train detection at grade crossings and helps ensure that gates, lights and bells activate when required. The companies say OSEs also provide greater operating flexibility, support better on-time performance and help passenger and freight traffic move efficiently on shared corridors.

FRA funding supports the installation of OSEs, building on more than ten years of research and testing led by CN, Amtrak and the FRA. The announcement did not give an installation timetable.

A case before the STB since 2013

On the same day, the STB granted a joint motion by Amtrak and CN to dismiss Amtrak’s complaint over the terms and compensation for its use of CN facilities and services.

Amtrak brought the case in 2013. The board issued interim findings in 2019 and ordered mediation, which ended without a settlement in early 2020. Both sides kept filing pleadings until board staff held a technical conference in March 2025. Along the way, the board approved several joint requests for more time so the two railroads could negotiate.

Amtrak Interim President Byl Herrmann linked the outcome to the role of the two federal agencies:

“With steady encouragement from the STB and grant approval from FRA, we are able to bring this train into the station.”

Patrick Whitehead, CN’s executive vice-president and chief operating officer, said the agreements give the railroad a clear basis for sharing its network safely and efficiently. He added that, together with the OSE rollout, they will support safer crossings and dependable passenger and freight service.

How the FRA on-time standard is measured

The FRA issued its metrics and standards rule in November 2020, and it now forms 49 CFR Part 273. The rule defines customer on-time performance as the share of passengers who reach their stop no more than 15 minutes after the published arrival time. Its minimum standard is 80% for any two consecutive calendar quarters. The rule also defines a certified schedule as one that Amtrak and the host railroad jointly certify as aligned with this metric and standard.