A Railroad with a Drive for Innovation: 100 years of CN Railroad
CN100 themed containers are traveling throughout North America to commemorate the CN Railroad’s 100-year anniversary. One hundred years is a great feat for any company, but for an industry leader like the CN, it is increasingly important to innovate and use new technology to stay ahead of the curve. As the CN strives to develop and implement better ways to drive value, new technology is advancing innovations in the area of safety, reliability, and predictability.
With 20+ years at the CN, President and CEO, JJ Ruest, has a clear vision for where the CN has been and where it will go to be successful into the future. In 2018, when he was appointed President and CEO, JJ said, “CN’s leadership team and I are committed to re-establishing best-in-class operational excellence on a sustainable basis; to growing the value of the Company, and to building the CN brand.” (No doubt this goal was driven by emerging new technology and innovations in the industry.)
Over the next five years, the CN states that it will spend $500 million on technology to improve its safety and efficiency through an increase in automation, the cutting of labor costs spent conducting track inspections, and a reduction of manual and clerical work. David Przednowek from the CN Grain Insights Podcast described the CN’s efforts on Episode 58: Technology and Innovation. He mentioned the railroad’s deployment of technology in the field, using predictive analytics and machine learning and automated track inspection program to reduce track interruptions. For CN, predictive analytics and data management is vital to assess mechanical trends and identify opportunities for pre-emptive maintenance work. Plus, predictive analytics enables engineering to gain a better understanding of track health to prioritize maintenance and capital programs.
In an article titled, “The Future of Rail”, The Association of American Railroads states, “Technology helps railroads achieve safety milestones, minimize their impact on the natural environment, and maintain a competitive edge in today’s fast-paced global economy”. Some of these innovations include advanced fuel management systems, positive train control, modern tier 4 locomotives, smart sensors and automated inspection equipment. The CN has been leading the charge, with the understanding that in order to continue to be a leader into the future, technology and innovation are required.
As discussed on the CN’s Q4 2019 Earnings Call, new technology has been enacted to provide superior customer service and increase efficiencies. Some of the innovations that the CN highlighted in this earnings call included:
Autonomous Track Inspection Program: Sensor and AI technology to deploy fully automated track inspection cars on the mainline railroad in the U.S. and Canada (currently 8 in service).
- As data is collected through normal operations, automated alerts are sent to track maintenance employees, allowing them to confirm, protect and repair track conditions as required.
- The resulting consistent and objective data collection supports predictive maintenance capabilities to reduce the time required for manual inspections and overall network capacity.
Automated Inspection Portal: Pairing high resolution imaging hardware with artificial intelligence.
- Using the latest machine vision applications, the system complements current manual inspections and helps carmen maintain the fleet with more efficiency.
Handheld Technology for Train Crews and Mechanics: Mobile platform with application for operations employees, including Car Repair Billing, which enables near real-time reporting of carmen activity and provides work progress visibility to supervisors for improved capture of information and sharing.
- Focusing on more value-added work and accelerating work reporting directly on the device removes paper, cuts intermediaries and increases productivity.
- Mobile Reporting Services provide train crews and field decision-markets with near real-time work plans and instructions.
- Improves the timeliness, accuracy and reliability of information, as well as customer service, by removing paperwork, fast-tracking information flow and increasing upcoming service visibility.
Enterprise Automation: Automate and eliminate manual and time-consuming tasks.
- Tools included in this process are, Robotic Process Automation (RPA), smart data capture, conversational interfaces, cognitive automation, and agile orchestration technologies.
Positive Train Control: The system uses wireless communications, GPS and onboard computers to alert conductors about track and speed changes while maintaining a safe separation between trains to avoid collisions.
- The “implementation of PTC across the railroad sets the framework and architecture for future technological advancements. PTC is the catalyst that has advanced technology, processes, tools and training capabilities, and has fundamentally changed the way CN operates its rail network.”
When JJ Ruest was sworn in as the CEO of the CN, he spoke of his drive to serve customers safely and efficiently. With the innovations that the CN is executing under his watch, he certainly is fulfilling this promise. It will be exciting to see what the next 100 years bring for this leading railroad.
CN is a true backbone of the economy, transporting more than C$250 billion worth of goods annually for a wide range of business sectors, ranging from resource products to manufactured products to consumer goods, across a rail network of approximately 20,000 route-miles spanning Canada and mid-America. CN – Canadian National Railway Company, along with its operating railway subsidiaries – serves the cities and ports of Vancouver, Prince Rupert, B.C., Montreal, Halifax, New Orleans, and Mobile, Ala., and the metropolitan areas of Toronto, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Calgary, Chicago, Memphis, Detroit, Duluth, Minn./Superior, Wis., and Jackson, Miss., with connections to all points in North America. For more information about CN, visit the Company’s website at www.cn.ca.