Iowa Northern Railway Company and the Canadian National Railway (CN) are excited to join our two freight railroads together to better serve customers and grow the Iowa economy. Iowa Northern is an Iowa success story, providing safe, reliable, and sustainable freight rail service to agricultural and manufacturing customers in Manly, Butler, Waterloo, Oelwein, Cedar Rapids and all points in between. CN has been providing freight rail service in Iowa for three decades. Today, CN trains connect farmers and job creators to markets across the midwestern United States, in states along the Mississippi River, to ports on the Gulf of Mexico, and in Canada from the Atlantic to the Pacific.Â
A combination of Iowa Northern and CN will provide greater opportunities for Iowa customers and farmers. Iowa Northern has built its reputation by putting customers first and delivering innovative, reliable transportation solutions. CN shares Iowa Northern’s commitment to providing quality service and, thanks to its national reach, will be able to offer even more options and opportunities for Iowa. CN will help existing and new rail customers grow their businesses through improved access to more markets and more efficient transportation operations, and preserve Iowa Northern customers’ access to existing competitive rail options. Since the announcement of the transaction, we have been proactively engaging with stakeholders across Iowa and teams are reaching out to local farmers and industries to explore their plans for future growth and how rail can help them reach markets. We are engaging with communities through which Iowa Northern operates to understand their perspectives.Â
We appreciate the great work of Iowa Northern railroaders, who live and work in communities across Iowa. They are best situated to help Iowa Northern continue to thrive and ensure a smooth inclusion into CN. This transaction is not about cutting and cost savings, it is about growth and new opportunities —CN is welcoming Iowa Northern’s team to become a part of the CN team.
The application for regulatory approval was recently submitted to the U.S. Surface Transportation Board. That application includes a detailed plan for how the combined CN and Iowa Northern will operate in the future. Meanwhile, we invite customers and communities to engage directly with us so that we can work together to explore opportunities to grow the economy and freight rail in Iowa.Â
Iowa feeds and fuels the world. The innovation and hard work of Iowans demands a safe, reliable and sustainable transportation network. By joining forces, we can help propel Iowa to greater growth and opportunities together.  •
Tracy Robinson is president and CEO of the Canadian National Railway.
Daniel Sabin is chairman of the Iowa Northern Railway Company.
