Montreal-based CN, a company with a nearly 20,000-mile North American rail network, recently added five industrial development sites to its Certified Rail-Ready Sites program and re-certified six more sites.
Certified Rail-Ready Sites program supports CN’s broader network of transload and distribution facilities, and sites are strategically located across key industrial regions in the United States and Canada. The five new sites are located in Illinois, Louisiana, Michigan and Mississippi. The re-certified sites are located in Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi and Tennessee.
Sites are identified and pre-qualified in strategic industrial locations with direct access to CN’s network. To be certified, sites are evaluated on numerous criteria including accelerated project timelines for businesses and investors, environmental considerations, helping reduce development risk, transportation infrastructure, utility availability, and zoning.
“CN’s Certified Rail-Ready Sites program helps businesses move more quickly from site selection to operations by identifying strategic, rail-served locations that are ready for investment and connected to markets across North America,” Janet Drysdale, CN executive vice-president and chief commercial officer, said.
Sites are certified through CN’s partnership with the Site Selectors Guild’s REDI Sites program, an industry-recognized certification framework designed to bring consistency and credibility to industrial site readiness. CN also works with consulting and engineering firms.