CANADA–USA: CN is supporting more than 300 customer development projects across its North American network while advancing CA$2.8 billion in 2026 capital work to expand rail capacity.

CN freight train crossing a river bridge near Ashcroft, British Columbia
CN freight train crossing a river near Ashcroft, British Columbia; illustrative image, not a current project site. Photo: Miroslav Volek / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.

More than 70 customer projects entered service in 2025, representing over CA$2 billion in customer investment across the railway’s network. In 2026 to date, CN has helped bring another 30 projects into service, with 70 more expected by the end of 2026 and into early 2027, according to CN’s July 30 announcement.

Customer investment expands alongside CN’s network

Sandra Ellis, CN’s vice-president of bulk, industrial and business development, said the railway has invested in capacity, infrastructure and its operating model to accommodate new business while continuing to improve network fluidity.

That work is taking place on a rail system spanning nearly 20,000 miles between Canada’s Atlantic and Pacific coasts, the U.S. Midwest and the Gulf Coast. CN says it transports more than 300 million tons of natural resources, manufactured products and finished goods annually.

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British Columbia projects target rail capacity

CN’s approximately CA$2.8 billion capital program for 2026 includes a new Zanardi Rapids Bridge at the Port of Prince Rupert and double tracking at Glen Valley, British Columbia. The railway says both projects are intended to increase capacity and support future traffic growth in Western Canada.

At Prince Rupert, the Zanardi Rapids Bridge plan calls for a 1,600-foot waterway crossing carrying three tracks, with several miles of connecting track extending in both directions. CN says the existing bridge can accommodate up to 24 trains per day, while demand is expected to rise within the next decade.

Earlier upgrades provide a capacity benchmark

The latest program follows capacity improvements completed during 2025 on CN’s Edson Subdivision in Alberta. CN reports that those works increased corridor capacity by approximately 25%.

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