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Canadian National to Invest $110M in Wisconsin for Rail Innovation

By Zacks Equity Research | July 03, 2025, 11:53 AM

Canadian National Railway Company (CNI) is forging ahead with a $110 million investment in Wisconsin, as part of its 2025 capital investment program, signaling strong confidence in the region’s economic potential and the future of freight rail.

The investment is aimed at aiding track maintenance and strategic infrastructure initiatives to boost rail operations in the region, which includes improving infrastructure, technology, capacity and network improvements. These investments are likely to guarantee the safe movement of goods and support long-term sustainable growth across CNI’s network in Chicago.

Tracy Robinson, president and chief executive officer at CNI, stated, “We believe that investing in our network is about building for the future. Our continued infrastructure investment in Wisconsin will help strengthen the resiliency and efficiency of our network across the state. Our focus remains on providing exceptional service to our customers and supply chain partners, supporting strong economic growth for North America and across communities where we operate.”

Last year, CNI spent almost $110 million in Wisconsin to support track maintenance and strategic infrastructure initiatives. The bulk of the investment supports the ongoing maintenance of infrastructure, including rail and tie replacements, grade crossing work, and structural maintenance.

Similar Strategic Investments by CNI

In backing its ambitious expansion, CNI shows no signs of slowing down. It’s doubling down on its core strengths — efficiency, innovation and infrastructure — while paving the way for long-term returns.

Previously, CNI has made multiple similar investments for rail operations’ expansion in June, which include investments of $50 million investment in Louisiana, $38 million in Iowa, $85 million in Michigan, $60 million in Minnesota, $36 million in Tennessee, $20 million in Indiana, $75 million in Mississippi, $170 million in Illinois and $80 million CAD in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. Last month, investments in rail operations’ expansion included $290 million CAD in Saskatchewan, $475 million CAD in Quebec, $165 million CAD in Manitoba, $165 million CAD in Manitoba, $510 million CAD in Alberta, and $600 million CAD in Ontario. 

We believe such robust initiatives strengthen investors’ confidence and support the long-term performance of this Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) stock.

Stocks to Consider

Investors interested in the Transportation sector may also consider Air Lease Corporation (AL) and SkyWest, Inc. (SKYW). Each stock presently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).  You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Air Lease, headquartered in Los Angeles, CA, operates as an aircraft leasing company engaged in purchasing and leasing commercial jet aircraft to airlines worldwide.

With a globally diversified customer base of 116 airlines in 58 different countries, more than 95% of AL’s business revenues originate from airlines located outside of the United States. Steady growth in the fleet, profits earned from aircraft sales and higher end-of-lease revenues contribute to AL's top-line growth. Consistent shareholder-friendly moves, such as dividend payments, look encouraging and positively impact the company's bottom line.

AL’s earnings outpaced the Zacks Consensus Estimate in three of the trailing four quarters and missed the mark in the remaining quarter, delivering an average miss of 5.16%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for AL’s 2025 earnings has moved up 2.4% over the past 60 days. AL’s expected earnings growth rate for 2025 is 9.6%.

SkyWest, founded in 1972, is based in St. George and operates regional jets for major U.S. airlines. SKYW is the holding company for SkyWest Airlines, SkyWest Charter and SkyWest Leasing, an aircraft leasing company.

SKYW has an impressive earnings surprise track record, having surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the last four quarters. The average beat was 17.1%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for current and next-year earnings has been revised upward over the past 60 days.

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Canadian National Railway Company (CNI): Free Stock Analysis Report
 
Air Lease Corporation (AL): Free Stock Analysis Report
 
SkyWest, Inc. (SKYW): Free Stock Analysis Report

This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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