CN
CN recently announced that January 2026 was its “second-best” January on record for grain movement. It shipped more than 2.72 million metric tons (MMT) of grain from Western Canada, down slightly from the 2.85 MMT “all-time record” set in January 2020. Despite extreme cold weather across its 20,000-mile rail network, CN said it “adjusted its operations to safely and efficiently move Canadian grain to market supporting farmers, along with supply chain and agriculture partners.” The railroad noted that it continues to execute its winter operations plan.
CN also reported setting a new monthly record for grain movement in December, marking its fourth consecutive record month. It moved 2.82 MMT-plus of grain from Western Canada, surpassing its previous December record set in 2020 by more than 80,000 metric tons.
Separately, CPKC in January moved 2.395 million MMT of Canadian grain and grain projects, beating its previous January tonnage record set in 2023, the railroad reported Feb. 2. January 2026’s 24,688 carloads also set a new monthly record, it said, surpassing the previous high set in January 2023. Through the first 26 weeks of the 2025-26 crop year, CPKC shipped more than 15.1 MMT of grain and grain products. These are the largest totals since the record-setting 2020-21 crop year, according to the CPKC.
Further Reading:
- CN: ‘Disciplined Execution, Relentless Focus’
- CPKC: ‘Exceptional Execution in Challenging Market’
- CTA Releases Annual Maximum Grain Revenue Entitlements for CN, CPKC (part of Class I Briefs)
- CN, CPKC: Ready for 2025-26 Grain Service
- CTA Sets CN, CPKC 2025-2026 VRCPIs
Meanwhile, CN recently reported teaming with Stanley Robotics. “Together, we’re testing autonomous technology at our Concord automotive compound to explore smarter, safer, and more efficient ways to move finished vehicles,” the Class I wrote in a social media post that shared a specially produced Stanley Robotics video (see above).
“This successful implementation [at CN] is the result of close, ongoing collaboration between the CN and Stanley Robotics teams to tailor the solution to CN’s environment,” the supplier said in the video. “Today, robots are moving vehicles with precision and reliability through CN facilities, running 24/7 in all weather conditions, and delivering significant efficiency and increased productivity.”
“Running a site in the finished vehicle logistics industry requires synchronizing countless moving elements,” pointed out Abdoulahi Deme, Vice President Operations at Stanley Robotics, in the video. “Our end-to-end-solution connects all the dots, ensuring sites remain operational with maximum flow efficiency. Athena is the heart of the solution. It monitors robots in real time, orchestrates workflows, and enables full autonomy delivering actionable insights.”
Separately, CSX subsidiary Total Distribution Services Inc. last spring rolled out an autonomous electric shuttle at its Selkirk facility in New York, which it said “is transforming daily transportation for employees.”
CPKC
“One year ago today [Feb. 6], we dedicated the second span of the Patrick J. Ottensmeyer International Railway Bridge, the only railroad bridge crossing the Rio Grande, linking Laredo, Texas, and Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, across the U.S.-Mexico border,“ CPKC reported via social media.
By providing new capacity, the Ottensmeyer bridge, it said, “enables more secure and more efficient international trade via our new services providing expanded options and reach to our customers.“ The railroad noted that its premium MMX service connects Chicago to Mexico while its SMX provides “those secure, efficient cross border service options“ to customers moving goods from the Southeast and Dallas to Mexico.
”The name Patrick J. Ottensmeyer will forever be a part of the proud history of Kansas City Southern and the legacy of CPKC,” CPKC President and CEO Keith Creel said during the 2025 ribbon-cutting ceremony dedicating the bridge. “Pat believed strongly in the work our railroaders do every day enabling trade amongst great nations. His leadership and vision led to the development and completion of the second span of the international bridge between the United States and Mexico at North America’s largest inland gateway. Having it bear his name is a fitting tribute to a remarkable leader and person.”
Completion of this $100 million rail bridge and track work, built to accommodate growing trade between the U.S. and its largest trading partner, Mexico, “expands the capacity of the most secure and efficient railway trade corridor between the U.S. and Mexico,” CPKC said upon the bridge’s completion. “The Ottensmeyer bridge is the only railroad bridge crossing the Rio Grande River linking Laredo and Nuevo Laredo across the international border.”
KCS broke ground on the project in late 2022. Key features of the Ottensmeyer Bridge, for which a U.S. Presidential Permit for construction was received in July 2020:
- New second bridge with total length of 1,170 feet.
- Ballasted deck plate girder bridge built with six reinforced concrete piers.
- Second track bridge constructed on the right-of-way roughly 35 feet from the existing bridge, allowing bidirectional cross-border movements.
- 4,500 feet of new track.
- Enhanced border security investments, including a new VACIS X-ray railcar inspection system and surveillance cameras.
“Completion of this internationally important project more than doubles our capacity to move freight through the border at the largest international trade port of entry in North America,” said Creel, Railway Age’s 2021 and, with Ottensmeyer, 2022 Railroader of the Year, in February 2025. “This is an important milestone that keeps Laredo-Nuevo Laredo at the center of North American trade, allowing the secure and efficient movement of more imports and exports across the U.S.-Mexico border. By linking expanding markets for our customers, this CPKC investment will accelerate growth between the industrial heartland of Mexico and points across the United States and Canada. Pat’s leadership and vision were instrumental in the development and successful completion of this project. His legacy lives on in the work we do at CPKC each and every day, enabling growing international trade across three great nations—Canada, the United States and Mexico.”
