CN’s rail network spans Canada and mid America, from the Atlantic and Pacifc oceans to the Gulf of Mexico. Combined with the railroad’s ability to work with connecting rail carriers throughout North America and the fact that CN provides service at more ports than any other North American railroad, CN offers attractive shipping solutions for companies shipping within North America and internationally.
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PES: North AmericaCN provides a greener way to ship wind turbine components
With wind turbines helping the world shift to a greener energy supply, more and more environmentally conscious manufacturers – and their customers – are interested in utilizing a greener transportation mode to get their winturbines to their destination. CN is in a strong position to support this important emerging market, with a shipping solution that is truly seamless, and a defnite green advantage.
Emissions reduction is an integral part of CN’s day-to-day activities. The railroad’s new EPA Tier 2-compliant locomotives produce approximately 40% less nitrogen oxides than unregulated locomotives and consume up to 20% less fuel. In fact, CN can move one tonne of freight 197 kilometres on just one litre of fuel. Automatic stop/start devices shut locomotives down when they are not in use, and a low-idle feature ensures engines idle at reduced speed, conserving as much as 10 litres of fuel per hour. Compared to heavy trucks, shipping by rail offers a major advantage in terms of emissions reduction – rail has been shown to emit six times less greenhouse gases than heavy trucks.
Shipping damage-free – efficiently It’s been scientifically proven tha shipping by rail results in a less jarring ride for turbine components. Additionally, the incidence of Foreign Object Debris (FOD) is lower on rail than road. Other advantages of shipping by rail include the fact that rail lines are able to handle more weight than the allowable limit on highways, so shippers may beneft from a higher maximum payload. CN customers count on the railroad to deliver as promised, and appreciate the railroad’s reputation for virtually damage-free shipping.
Reach, speed, capacity and reliability are key benefits of shipping with C The CN network serves the main wind farm regions of Canada – from Nova Scotia to British Columbia, as well as the U.S. Midwest. Additionally, the railroad serves multiple ports suited to the importation of wind turbine components, including Halifax, Saint John, N.B., Quebec City, Thunder Bay, Duluth, Minn., Vancouver and Prince Rupert. CN is often able to ship turbin components on their regularly scheduled trains. This avoids the need to ship at night, providing a meaningful logistics benefit
The railroad’s high-capacity mainline, strategically positioned yards and terminals provide the capacity and facilities necessary to support effcient handling every step of the way to destination.
A complete transportation solution Through CN WorldWide North America, CN provides the expertise of logistics specialists to manage every aspect of a customer’s shipment. These logistics professionals have extensive expertise in rail transportation, trucking, transloading, warehousing and physical distribution. When necessary, the group also leverages strong relationships with experienced third-party logistics companies.
There is no “typical” shipment, so the railroad’s logistics specialists provide whatever support is necessary. That might include height and width clearance analysis, a trip plan for the shipment, recommendations for special equipment (including heavy-duty railcars and/or containers for smaller components), special train service, safe loading requirements, and arrangements at transload facilities for truck to rail transfer. CN works with connecting rail carriers throughout North America to design the most efficient route for each shipment. In fact, CN’s complete transportation solution can include every aspect of a move, for true door-to-door delivery.
CN has extensive experience transporting a wide range of structures, heavy equipment and specialized materials.
That experience, combined with the right equipment to do the job, and longstanding relationships with regulatory and advisory agencies governing transportation, have led the railroad to rank as one of North America’s largest carriers of over-sized loads. CN has been working with customers in the wind energy business for many years, and has handled more than 2,000 carloads of wind turbine components, including tower sections, blades, nacelles and hubs.
CN has been working with customers in the wind energy business for many years, and has handled more than 2,000 carloads of wind turbine components
