CN Short Line Partner Award recognition for 2025 went to Southern Railway of British Columbia Ltd., selected by CN as the winner of the Brandon Rudnikoff Short Line Partner of the Year Award.

SRY locomotives on the Queensborough Railway Bridge near Annacis Island
Archive photo of SRY locomotives on the Queensborough Railway Bridge near Annacis Island. Photo: Mike / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 2.0

The recognition was presented during the CN Short Line Conference⁠, held in Chicago in spring. CN representatives said in a press release that the annual award recognizes short line railroads that support CN in delivering tailored solutions for customers.

Southern Railway of British Columbia recognized by CN

Southern Railway of British Columbia operates more than 125 track miles⁠ across British Columbia’s Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley. It interchanges with CN, CPKC, BNSF Railway and Union Pacific Railroad, and also connects the Lower Mainland with Vancouver Island through the Annacis Rail Marine Terminal.

SRY locomotive shown in CN short line collaboration story
Official CN image of an SRY locomotive used in the company’s short line collaboration story. Photo: CN

CN representatives described the short line collaboration between the two railways as a combination of network scale and regional operating knowledge.

“CN brings supply chain planning and operational scale, while SRY brings regional insights, last-mile solutions, and experience operating safely in high-density areas,”

Coal and steel supply chain work cited

CN cited coal operations at Roberts Bank and North Vancouver⁠ as examples of its collaboration with SRY. It also pointed to the establishment of a new supply chain for steel moving into British Columbia.