CN Investing US$165 Million To Expand Kirk Yard And Relocate Locomotive Repair Shop To Gary, Ind.

CN CNI today announced plans for a US$165-million expansion of its Kirk Yard in Gary, Ind., and relocation of its Chicago area locomotive repair shop to the upgraded freight car classification facility in Northwest Indiana. The project will increase Kirk Yard's processing capacity to 2,500 cars per day from 1,500 today. Additional classification tracks, along with more receiving and departure tracks, will allow the yard to handle longer and more efficient trains, improve interchange with other railroads, and consolidate CN's switching operations in the Chicago area at a single primary yard. Jim Vena, CN senior vice-president, Southern Region, said: "Our Kirk Yard improvements, to be completed over the next four years, will deliver significant gains in productivity and create new capacity for growth in the Chicago area. Additionally, the redesign of Kirk Yard represents a significant investment by CN in Northwest Indiana which will bring approximately 250 new jobs to Gary."