CN Rail has said it will invest close to $445 million in British Columbia this year.
It comes as part of its plan to support growing demand and boost supply chains.
Among the projects on which the cash will be spent are expansions at the Port of Vancouver and Port of Prince Rupert.
Those schemes are being backed by the federal government, Vancouver Fraser Port Authority and Prince Rupert Port Authority.
Another area of expenditure will be a maintenance program focusing on the replacement of rail and ties and improvements to level crossings, culverts and signal systems.
“We take our essential role in the North American economy seriously and these investments in British Columbia are a key part of our strategy to support growth,” said James Thompson, VP for the West at CN.
“The company remains committed to help enable supply chains that fuel British Columbia’s growth as we are a critical part of getting everyday goods to markets and consumers.”
Both Marc Garneau, federal minister of transport, and Michelle Mungall, provincial minister of jobs, praised the investment.
Mungall said: “CN is a transportation lifeline for people and businesses throughout BC. This investment is great news for the 2,400 CN employees in BC, their families, and the many more who will indirectly benefit from these important upgrades.”
CN added that its investments will encourage the use of rail for long haul transportation.
Planned expansion projects include:
Construction of about 3.5 miles of double track between Vancouver and Edmonton, near Glen Valley
Building new sidings on the Edmonton to Prince Rupert corridor to increase capacity for growing demand
Continued investments to continue multi-year infrastructure projects that will increase capacity at the ports of Vancouver and Prince Rupert in collaboration with the Government of Canada, the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority and the Prince Rupert Port Authority
Maintenance program highlights include:
Replacement of more than 100 miles of rail
Installation of over 209,000 new railroad ties
Installation of over 46,000 concrete ties
Rebuilds of 22 road crossing surfaces
Maintenance work on bridges, culverts, signal systems, and other track infrastructure
