New Service Challenges Trucking in Canada

Canadian National, Montreal, has launched four new domestic intermodal trains, putting the pressure on over-the-road truckers operating between major centers in Central and Atlantic Canada.

CN’s new domestic services, linking Toronto, Montreal, Moncton and Halifax, are intensified with improvements the company has made in its transcontinental intermodal schedules between Toronto and Western Canada.
E. Hunter Harrison, CN's executive vice-president and chief operating officer, said "the new service offers shippers a competitive alternative to truck lines to reach distant markets more effectively, and also provides a new way to control supply chain costs."
"[Customers} said they needed speed and precision, and we've delivered what they need," said Harrison. "That’s how we're going to get a larger share of the market for freight transportation."
According to a press release issued by Canadian National, the service offers shippers rail intermodal service that's fully competitive with expedited transcontinental truck transit times in truckload and less-than-truckload markets. CN is targeting its expedited transcontinental intermodal trains at customers shipping time-sensitive products such as retail and grocery stores, as well as parcel and less-than-truckload carriers.