CANADA: CN is expanding Western Canada rail capacity while supporting more than 300 customer development projects across its North American network, pairing completed and planned infrastructure work with a growing customer pipeline.

Canadian National freight train between Hinton and Jasper in Alberta with mountain peaks in the background
Canadian National freight train between Hinton and Jasper, Alberta. Illustrative photo. Photo: David Gubler / Kabelleger, CC BY-SA 4.0.

CN says customer investment around its rail-served sites exceeded USD 2 billion in 2025. More than 70 customer projects entered service last year, another 30 have entered service so far in 2026, and a further 70 are due by the end of 2026 and into early 2027.

The railway has not disclosed the individual projects, expected freight volumes or commodity mix. That makes the pipeline a signal of potential demand rather than a commitment that all of the developments will produce recurring rail traffic.

Western projects target capacity constraints

CN’s latest official guidance puts its 2026 capital programme at C$2.8 billion, net of customer reimbursements. The customer-investment figure above is reported in US dollars; CN’s own current capital guidance is stated in Canadian dollars.

At Prince Rupert, the Zanardi Rapids Bridge project is intended to remove a rail bottleneck at the entrance to the port. CN describes the planned crossing as about 1,600 feet long, with three tracks and several miles of connecting track extending in both directions. The existing bridge can handle up to 24 trains per day, according to CN. A federal environmental assessment for the bridge, causeway and corridor connection was completed in April 2024, finding the project was not likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects.

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Farther south, the Glen Valley Double Track project is designed to add capacity on CN’s Yale Subdivision near Abbotsford, between the end of the Directional Running Zone and Thornton Yard. Transport Canada lists the project as underway and identifies a C$44.4 million federal contribution. CN originally described the work as roughly 3.5 miles of double track. Public official material reviewed for this article does not provide a confirmed completion date.

Edson shows the capacity gain already delivered

CN has already completed a measurable capacity step on the Edson Subdivision between Edmonton and Jasper. Two new double-track segments were completed in 2025, while upgrades made since 2022 have increased corridor capacity by about 25%, according to the railway.

The Edson route carries all CN trains moving to and from Vancouver or Prince Rupert from the western network. CN says forecasting and simulation work guided where the new double track was placed, with expected bulk-export growth, container traffic and longer trains among the factors considered.

The customer-project pipeline and the infrastructure programme therefore point to two separate developments: rail capacity is being added on Western Canadian corridors, while customer sites are moving through development. Until CN identifies project locations, commodities and volumes, however, the amount of recurring freight that the customer pipeline will generate remains uncertain.

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