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The Class Is continue to forge track-sharing or haulage agreements aimed at speeding up traffic. New case in point: Canadian National Railway Co and CSX Transportation recently reached a long-term agreement under which CN will move some CSXT traffic and CSXT will sell a line to CN.

CN will move CSXT traffic to and from Sarnia, Ont., and to and from CSXT connections in Buffalo, N.Y., and Toledo, Ohio. CN also will move CSXT’s long-haul traffic destined for Canadian Pacific Railway to London, Ont. Currently, CSXT and CPR interchange in Chatham, Ont. CSXT will sell to CN 12.5 track miles between Chatham and Blenheim, Ont., enabling CN to gain control of trackage connecting its network to Windsor yards and the Detroit-Windsor rail tunnel.

“The CSXT traffic will be a welcome addition to our network in Ontario, Michigan and Ohio, increasing freight densities and improving economies of scale,” said Keith Creel, senior vice president of CN’s Eastern Canada Region, in a prepared statement.

CSXT will retain track in Sarnia, continue to serve its customers in the city, and maintain operations on 27 miles between Sarnia and Wallaceburg, Ont. The Class I also will abandon about 26 track miles between Wallaceburg and Chatham in accordance with the Canada Transportation Act.

“CSXT’s Sarnia customers will see better service and faster transit times via CN compared with the more circuitous routing their traffic now takes via Chatham, Windsor, Detroit, Plymouth, Mich., and Toledo,” said Dean Piacente, CSXT vice president of chemicals and fertilizer.