Canadian National Railway Company (CNI): history, ownership, mission, how it works & makes money

Canadian National Railway Company (CNI): history, ownership, mission, how it works & makes money

CA | Industrials | Railroads | NYSE

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A Brief History of Canadian National Railway Company (CNI)

Corporate Overview

Canadian National Railway Company (CNI) is headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. As of 2024, the company operates a network of approximately 33,000 kilometers of track across Canada and the United States.

Financial Performance

Financial Metric 2023 Value
Total Revenue $21.47 billion
Net Income $5.89 billion
Operating Ratio 52.4%
Market Capitalization $96.3 billion

Operational Network

  • Serves major ports in Vancouver, Prince Rupert, Montreal, and Halifax
  • Connects key industrial regions in Canada and the United States
  • Operates in 7 Canadian provinces and 16 U.S. states

Key Business Segments

Canadian National Railway operates through three primary freight transportation segments:

  • Petroleum and Chemical Transportation
  • Intermodal and Automotive Freight
  • Bulk and Agricultural Commodities

Stock Performance

Stock Information 2024 Data
NYSE Ticker Symbol CNI
Current Stock Price $137.45
52-Week High $145.87
52-Week Low $119.23

Environmental Initiatives

Carbon Reduction Target: Committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 43% by 2030.

Employee Information

Total employees: 24,795 as of December 31, 2023



Who Owns Canadian National Railway Company (CNI)

Ownership Structure

As of 2024, Canadian National Railway Company (CNI) has the following ownership composition:

Shareholder Category Percentage of Ownership
Institutional Investors 73.4%
Individual Investors 26.6%

Top Institutional Shareholders

Shareholder Shares Owned Percentage
The Vanguard Group, Inc. 44,789,280 10.2%
BlackRock Inc. 37,456,712 8.5%
Capital World Investors 32,145,890 7.3%

Significant Ownership Details

  • Public Float: 99.8%
  • Number of Shareholders: 272,456
  • Primary Stock Exchange Listing: New York Stock Exchange (NYSE)
  • Secondary Stock Exchange Listing: Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX)

Foreign Ownership Restrictions

Canadian National Railway is subject to foreign ownership limitations:

  • Maximum foreign ownership allowed: 49.9%
  • Canadian ownership requirement: Minimum 50.1%

Market Capitalization

Market Capitalization as of 2024: $98.3 billion



Canadian National Railway Company (CNI) Mission Statement

Core Mission and Strategic Focus

Canadian National Railway Company operates with a mission to provide efficient, safe, and sustainable transportation solutions across North America.

Financial Metric 2023 Value
Annual Revenue $14.46 billion
Operating Income $6.19 billion
Net Income $4.84 billion
Total Assets $44.8 billion

Key Strategic Objectives

  • Maintain 7,800 route miles of track across Canada and United States
  • Transport 300 million revenue ton miles annually
  • Operate with approximately 23,000 employees
  • Serve key industries including agriculture, automotive, chemicals, and intermodal freight

Operational Performance Metrics

Performance Indicator 2023 Measurement
Freight Volumes 172.4 million metric tons
Locomotive Fleet 1,890 units
Railcar Fleet 53,700 cars
Safety Incident Rate 1.12 per million train miles

Sustainability Commitments

  • Reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 43% by 2030
  • Invest $550 million annually in infrastructure maintenance
  • Maintain 99.5% on-time delivery performance


How Canadian National Railway Company (CNI) Works

Company Overview

Canadian National Railway Company (CNI) operates 33,000 route kilometers of track across Canada and parts of the United States. The company serves ports in Vancouver, Prince Rupert, Montreal, Halifax, and New Orleans.

Operational Network

Network Metric Quantity
Total Track Length 33,000 kilometers
Locomotives 1,900 units
Freight Cars 95,000 units

Freight Transportation Segments

  • Intermodal Transportation
  • Bulk Commodities
  • Merchandise Freight
  • Automotive Logistics

Financial Performance

Financial Metric 2023 Value
Annual Revenue $21.47 billion
Net Income $5.64 billion
Operating Ratio 52.4%

Geographic Coverage

CNI operates across Canada and connects to major U.S. markets, covering seven provinces and 19 U.S. states.

Key Operational Metrics

Operational Metric 2023 Performance
Freight Volume 302 million metric tons
Train Miles 173 million miles
Employee Count 24,000 employees


How Canadian National Railway Company (CNI) Makes Money

Revenue Streams

Canadian National Railway generates revenue through multiple transportation and logistics services:

Revenue Category Annual Revenue (2023)
Freight Transportation $17.44 billion
Intermodal Services $4.2 billion
Bulk Commodity Transport $3.8 billion

Freight Transportation Segments

  • Petroleum and Chemicals: $2.6 billion
  • Grain and Fertilizers: $2.3 billion
  • Forest Products: $1.9 billion
  • Automotive: $1.5 billion
  • Metals and Minerals: $1.2 billion

Operational Metrics

Key operational performance indicators:

Metric Value (2023)
Total Rail Network 33,000 kilometers
Annual Carload Volume 5.3 million carloads
Operating Ratio 56.4%

Geographic Revenue Distribution

Region Revenue Contribution
Canada $10.2 billion
United States $7.6 billion
International $1.2 billion

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