Quebec Bridge inspection to begin - part of CN's commitment to its continued
structural integrity

MONTREAL, May 31 /CNW Telbec/ - CN has awarded a contract to Roche Ltd. Consulting Group of Quebec City to perform a comprehensive engineering inspection of the Quebec Bridge, which spans the St. Lawrence River between Quebec City and Levis.

The last comprehensive inspection was performed by the independent engineering firm Modjeski and Masters in 1994, prior to commencing the major rehabilitation works under the Quebec Bridge Maintenance Program, from 1997 to 2005. There were subsequent inspections of the superstructure by CN, as well as annual periodic CN inspections of the railway portions. In 2006, an independent audit conducted by Modjeski and Masters confirmed that the Quebec Bridge is in good structural condition, and will remain a viable structure over the long term.

This inspection will provide CN's Engineering Department with a detailed assessment of the bridge and its structural components. Inspectors will visually examine at arm's length, the entire bridge structure. This will require climbing of the bridge using various techniques, scaffolding and elevating devices. Moreover, the critical components of the bridge will receive additional scrutiny, including ultrasonic inspection.

Inspectors will begin their work in early June and expect to finish in October. During that time, the public will see the trained inspectors throughout the bridge structure. CN expects the bridge roadways to remain open. However, short temporary closures may be required, and will be coordinated with the MTQ, and the public will be informed in advance.

CN has been maintaining the historic Quebec Bridge since 1923 - nearly 90 years. Today, CN is a minority user, with only 4 freight trains per day crossing the bridge, compared to 8 VIA passenger trains and an average 35,000 motor vehicles daily.

CN - Canadian National Railway Company and its operating railway subsidiaries - spans Canada and mid-America, from the Atlantic and Pacific oceans to the Gulf of Mexico, serving the ports of Vancouver, Prince Rupert, B.C., Montreal, Halifax, New Orleans, and Mobile, Ala., and the key metropolitan areas of Toronto, Buffalo, Chicago, Detroit, Duluth, Minn./Superior, Wis., Green Bay, Wis., Minneapolis/St. Paul, Memphis, and Jackson, Miss., with connections to all points in North America. For more information on CN, visit the company's website at www.cn.ca.

For further information: Media: Julie Senécal, Manager, Public & Government Affairs, [phone]; Investors: Robert Noorigian, Vice-President, Investor Relations, [phone]