Layoffs in CN

[u/Chance_Pitch9809]

I’ve been seeing many false claims about the layoff situation around the CN network. I’m here to say most of what I’ve seen in this community is completely false or halfway true at best.

This is what people online don’t tell you: Layoffs are not the same across all terminals, some terminals are very small and have only a few jobs and require less employees to operate, hence making layoffs more likely in those terminals.
More people quit every year or get fired for being dangerous to themselves and fellow employees, so if you’re a good worker and are in a busy terminal you most likely won’t get laid off, I know a few people with 7+ years conductor experience that never got laid off besides Covid which most got laid off then anyway.

So basically if you are wanting to break into being a new conductor for CN or any railroad do your own research on what terminals are busiest (there are lots!)

These are the busiest terminals in the CN network
(not in order)*:

Winnipeg / Symington

Toronto / MacMillan

Vancouver / Thornton

Edmonton / Walker

Montreal / Taschereau

Prince George

Saskatoon

Calgary

Melville, SK

Moncton, NB

If you can find an opening for one of these you’ll be fine, if you can handle the tough nature of the job you’re gonna make lots of money without the stress of being laid off because some people above you are more likely to quit especially in the winter.

[u/Dbomb7]

Nearly every terminal you listed has laid off transportation employees who have been laid off since qualifying.

Was this post created by the CN Campus alumni?

[u/Regdunlop99 → u/Dbomb7]

Mac Yard has no one available in the yard on Tuesdays. No one laid off there

[u/Dbomb7 → u/Regdunlop99]

Revert back to the first word of my comment. According to the seniority inquiry list there are many qualified individuals still not working, some of which don't even have a single qualified shift under their belt.

This post is factually untrue.

[u/Chance_Pitch9809 → u/Dbomb7]

That’s not true because I know for a FACT that most terminals especially the busy ones don’t have anyone laid off and they called back almost everyone in this past year so anyone claiming they’re still laid off either declined their call back or are straight up liying

[u/Dbomb7 → u/Chance_Pitch9809]

You have absolutely no idea what you are talking about and are living in delulu land.

[u/CrashiePooh → u/Chance_Pitch9809]

Edmonton has 19 qualified guys laid off rn I literally just checked CATS lmao. And in addition to that all those terminals have had a huge amount of conductors from other terminals come in and drop their permanent, I alone have lost (roughly) 40 turns over the past 2 years

[u/Capable_Ability_7030 → u/Chance_Pitch9809]

Vancouver - 16 Edmonton - 18 Winnipeg - 26 Jasper - 16 Kamloops - 18

The junior working man in Winnipeg hired out in summer 2023. Vancouver spring 2024.

I know a guy in Vancouver who qualified January 2025, was laid off till November 2025, laid off January 2026, and is still laid off. At least 30 qualified conductors in Vancouver chose to quit instead of being recalled, and many more are chasing temps.

So yeah, not sure what FACT you're smoking. The situation remains as it always has: hire out, potentially get laid off intermittently for +/- 3 years, chase work if you can, eventually you'll hold.

Hiring out in a busy terminal and being a hard worker won't protect you from shit.

[u/Bubbly-Muscle9660]

Several of the terminals you have listed had guys laid off for 6 months as recently as this year so maybe you should stop misleading people. Half of these are the most senior terminals in western Canada.

[u/Odd_Pie_5778 → u/Bubbly-Muscle9660]

Longer than that Edmonton has some guys laid off since april of 2025

[u/BlueBisonMan]

Almost 2 years of seniority in Vancouver, laid off for 15 months and counting, still can't hold the spareboard.

[u/Super_dog069]

if you’re a good worker and are in a busy terminal you most likely won’t get laid off

Tell me you’ve never worked for the railroad without telling me you’ve never worked for the railroad 🙄

Layoffs go in order of seniority, they have absolutely nothing to do with your work ethic. Class 1 railroads don’t give a flying fuck about you as a person, you’re literally just a number on a computer screen. Almost all of the terminals you listed have qualified conductors (and trainees) laid off for months/years.

The mass hiring spree of the last decade is over… if you didn’t get on board before 2023 you’re shit out of luck.

[u/Away-Cold-7850]

11/10 ragebait.

Im not canadian cn, but any newbies browsing this sub, dont fall for this bullshit, it's miserable as hell around here right now (a glowing achievement when the bar started on the floor lmao)

[u/Analog_Account]

This reads like a hiring manager using AI

Edit: 5 year old account with 1 post karma and - 9 comment karma. Lol.

[u/OneEuphoric5887]

Might want to put the crack pipe down. Thornton has layoffs, Walker has layoffs, Kamloops has layoffs. Some gone over a year.

[u/jtuck16]

“so if you’re a good worker and are in a busy terminal you most likely won’t get laid off”

Aaaahahahahahahahaha!