Message from the President – January 2025

Resilience is not passive; it requires planning, investment, and unwavering commitment. With a whole-of-supply-chain approach, Canada’s railways demonstrate resilience every day. And as leaders across industries and governments come together to grow our economy, rail remains the bedrock of communities, industry and trade.

Canada’s rail corridors are among the most resilient in the world, delivering over $170 billion in goods across the Canada-US border annually, with nearly 100 trains moving back and forth, every single day. At a time when political uncertainty challenges trade, partnerships, and what defines a country, the enduring connections forged by railways will remain.

Resilience is not passive.

Winter is a Canadian reality as much as it is a metaphor for resilience. Canada’s Class 1 and shortline railways continue to demonstrate their strength, supported by detailed winter plans, cutting-edge infrastructure investments, and the dedication of more than 37,000 railway workers from coast to coast. This collaborative effort—across railways, customers, and supply chain partners—is essential to ensuring that products can get to market in Canada and around the world, safely and efficiently.

From agricultural products to critical minerals, fertilizers and automotive products, the Canadian rail network ensures the stability of supply chains and the competitiveness of Canadian industries. Building resiliency into our infrastructure today, ensures we can support the growth demands of tomorrow.

Infrastructure resiliency, however, depends on consistent investments and smart policymaking that recognize the strategic importance of rail in enabling trade and growing economic productivity.

Passenger rail has proven to be resilient in responding to the ever-present need to connect people throughout our growing country. Trends show increasing ridership as investment bolsters service and efficiency – in fact, data in Rail Trends 2024, has passenger ridership increasing by 70.5%, reducing congestion on public roads.

Our railways’ role in connecting customers to markets, linking communities, and underpinning our economy will be crucial in the year ahead. The challenges we face will be met head-on, and with strong investment and smart policy, Canada’s railways can enable this country to move forward, and be more resilient than ever.