CN
“We’re back and keeping it cool,” CN reported recently via social media. Together with DP World Canada and COSCO SHIPPING, the Class I railroad said it has reignited its CargoCool Intelligen Powerpack service out of Prince Rupert, “offering shippers a secure and reliable gateway.” With its “direct-to-port rail access, dependable plug capacity, and weekly service,” CN said perishable goods can “move seamlessly and stay fresh from Asia to key markets across Canada and the U.S. Midwest.”
According to CN, the Port of Prince Rupert, which it serves exclusively, is one of North America’s “fastest growing and most efficient gateways—offering a unique geographic advantage.” At 500 nautical miles closer to Asia than southern alternatives, it is said to enable faster transit times: 36 hours closer to Shanghai than Seattle, Wash., and more than 68 hours closer than Los Angeles/Long Beach, Calif.
CN this summer reported investing in a new Zanardi Rapids Bridge—the entrance to the Port of Prince Rupert and the City of Prince Rupert, near the District of Port Edward—to expand capacity and “unlock the port’s full potential.” The project extends several miles of track in both directions and connects the new three-track bridge to meet growing demand, the railroad said.
According to CN, its investment “complements the broader port infrastructure development plan,” which includes several projects:
- “CANXPORT: A bulk transload and breakbulk facility with an off-dock container yard.
- “REEF (Ridley Island Energy Export Facility): A bulk liquids and LPG terminal helping position Canada as a global energy partner.
- “Trigon Berth Expansion: Increasing capacity at the existing Trigon terminal.
- “Import Container Transload Facility: Addressing surging demand for transloading services.”
These new terminals, CN said, “will support and enhance the Fairview Container Terminal, ensuring that the port is aligned for growth, efficiency, and global competitiveness.”
Further Reading:
- Building for Growth: CN’s Commitment to a Stronger, More Resilient Supply Chain
- CN: ‘Keeping it Fresh’
- CN Commits to Port of Prince Rupert’s Future With Zanardi Rapids Bridge Project
- LinX Logistics Facility Coming to Port of Prince Rupert
- CN Deploys Innovative Technology to Remotely Monitor Temperature-Controlled Cargo
- Port of Prince Rupert, DP World agree on next expansion of Fairview Container Terminal
NS
NS on Dec. 3 reported awarding more than $6.1 million this year to 402 organizations in 22 states and 219 cities across its network, through its Thriving Communities and Safety First grant programs. The programs are said to reflect the railroad’s four pillars of community impact: safety, sustainability, workforce development, and thriving communities. In 2025, it committed more than $4.5 million for initiatives in sustainability, housing stability, and community well-being through the Thriving Communities program, and more than $1.6 million to improve emergency preparedness and public safety through the Safety First program. Since both programs launched in 2023, NS has provided $17 million-plus in funding.
Among the grant programs’ recent highlights:
- City of Refuge (Atlanta): A Thriving Communities grant is funding shelter, meals, and “life-building” support for Atlantans facing housing insecurity. “This builds on our ongoing partnership,” NS said. “Earlier this year we came together to open a new Welding Training Center.”
- Children’s of Alabama (Birmingham): A Thriving Communities grant is “expanding critical care capacity and simulation-based training, bringing lifesaving care closer to home for more children across Alabama,” NS said.
- Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank (Pittsburgh): A $40,000 Thriving Communities grant has already delivered 30,000-plus meals for families facing hunger in the region’s 11-county service area,” NS said. The railroad also provided recently a $30,000 holiday donation and is hosting a community event on Dec. 6 at the food bank where meal kits and winter essentials will be given away.
- Chicago Police Foundation (Chicago): A Safety First grant is supporting tools like drones and vehicles “to deter theft and strengthen community safety citywide,” NS reported.
- Front Steps (Cleveland): A Thriving Communities grant “is expanding wraparound care for people facing homelessness,” according to NS. A 2024 grant, it said, also helped grow the nonprofit’s Basic Job Training Program.
“We’re committed to supporting organizations that strengthen the communities we serve,” said Kristin Wong, Director, NS Foundation and Community Impact. “These grants help local partners advance safety, build opportunity, and create lasting resilience for our customers, our employees, and our neighbors across the network.”
Further Reading:
- UP+NS: STB Application Now Mid-December; 4Q25 Earnings Tempered
- From Port to Porch: Team NS Powers Peak Season 2025
UP
“For more than 160 years, Union Pacific has helped keep America’s military mission ready, moving the equipment, supplies and technology that support national defense across our 23-state network,” the railroad reported Dec. 3. “This robust relationship will only get stronger as the [proposed] merger with Norfolk Southern advances, creating a more agile, fluid supply chain.”
According to UP, every year, thousands its railcars carry Humvees, helicopters, Abrams tanks, fuel, and food, linking inland bases to ports in California, Louisiana, and the Pacific Northwest, as well as major Great Lakes facilities.
Fort Riley in Kansas is one example of UP’s partnership with the military. Working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the railroad said it helped to expand the base’s rail loading capacity with 33,000 feet of new track. “It’s a $15 million investment that transformed how quickly the base can deploy,” UP reported. “Before the project, Fort Riley could move about 100 railcars in 24 hours. Today, it can pre-build multiple trains and deploy an entire brigade up to 700 cars in less than two days.”
UP noted that it “remains the only U.S. carrier with access to all six gateways into and out of Mexico,” which it said gives the Department of Defense critical reach.
“The nation’s first coast-to-coast rail[road though UP’s proposed merger with NS would] create a more predictable flow for bases, manufacturers and ports across 43 states,” the railroad said. “By reducing handoffs between carriers and removing bottlenecks, cargo will move with greater agility, reliability and predictability.”
