Mystery CN business train sparks curiosity in Kitimat

Mystery CN business train sparks curiosity in Kitimat

Published 3:00 pm Monday, September 14, 2026

A CN business train spotted in Kitimat on Sept. 10 put a brief spotlight on the Northwest rail corridor, at a time of significant industrial activity and freight investment in the region.

But CN is declining to say what business brought the train to Kitimat or who was aboard.

The visit comes as attention remains focused on potential LNG expansion, ongoing activity at Rio Tinto’s BC Works smelter and CN’s broader freight interests stretching through northwest B.C. to Prince Rupert.

The cars, parked at the Kitimat Service Centre, are part of CN’s business fleet and are reserved for company purposes rather than public passenger service. When the Northern Sentinel asked what the train was doing in Kitimat, who was aboard and whether the visit was connected to a local company or project, CN did not provide those details.

“CN maintains a fleet of business cars that are used for a variety of company purposes, including meetings, business and marketing activities across our network. Their presence in a particular location is part of normal railway operations,” CN media relations said in a statement to the Northern Sentinel.

The train itself is hard to miss. It includes several silver-sided passenger-style cars with black roofs and red-and-black striping, along with at least one distinctive orange-and-maroon car. Names visible on the cars include Sherbrooke, Fleuve St-Laurent and Caritas.

With large passenger windows, enclosed vestibules and observation-style cars, the train looks markedly different from the freight equipment normally associated with CN operations in the community.

Kitimat is not the first stop where the train has attracted notice.

Ontario’s Eric Gagnon, who writes the rail enthusiast blog Trackside Treasure, dubbed it the “Mind Your Own Business Train” while chronicling its movements this summer. He said the train’s mission is seldom disclosed and is based in Homewood, Illinois. It travels across CN’s North American network for public events, visits to CN yards and operations, safety promotion and trips involving customers.

“Basically anything where CN wants to project a presence, anywhere on its network,” Gagnon said. “The train hosts executives and can wine and dine guests like CN regional managers and sales teams, politicians, shipper representatives, potential customers, etc.”

Gagnon has tracked the train since June as it travelled through Canada and the United States. Among the trips he documented was a July 20 run in Ontario in which passengers boarded for a trip to Niagara Falls that included wine tasting.

In Kitimat, the interest goes beyond the novelty of seeing passenger-style cars on CN tracks, as the railway has direct ties to major industrial operations in the area.

The train’s presence is not evidence of a new project, and CN has not linked the visit to any specific development.

CN moved specialized equipment and construction materials for LNG Canada during construction of Phase 1 and has previously said LNG exports could generate additional rail business by increasing demand for drilling supplies elsewhere in Western Canada.

Attention is also on a possible LNG Canada Phase 2 expansion. No final investment decision has been made, although political support, pre-FID spending and advancing engineering and construction preparations have pointed toward approval. There is no confirmed connection between Phase 2 and the CN train.

CN also has a direct freight relationship with Rio Tinto’s BC Works aluminum smelter.

Prince Rupert provides another indication of CN’s interest in northwest B.C. Its roughly $2.8-billion 2026 capital program includes the Zanardi Rapids Bridge project, which CN says will increase rail capacity and support future growth in Western Canada.

There is also a leadership connection between CN and the Prince Rupert Port Authority. Former CN president and CEO Jean-Jacques Ruest became chair of the port authority board effective July 1, 2026.

Against that backdrop — and given the business train’s role carrying executives, customers and other guests — its appearance in Kitimat raises possibilities ranging from customer meetings to discussions about future freight opportunities.

CN has not said whether the visit was connected to LNG Canada, Rio Tinto, Prince Rupert or any other company or project, nor has it identified who was aboard. The railway also did not respond to a followup email.