“Ever reorganized a million cars a year?” That is what the CN MacMillan Yard does. Welcome to the bustling world of the CN MacMillan Yard. It is the second-largest railway classification yard in Canada. Only Winnipeg’s Symington Yard is bigger.
Originally known as Toronto Yard it opened in 1965. A decade later, in 1975, it was renamed MacMillan Yard. This renaming honored Norman John MacMillan. He was a former CN president.
Think of this yard as a giant sorting facility. Trains arrive at the CN MacMillan Yard from across the country. Individual cars are then reorganized. They rejoin with other cars headed to similar destinations. This process creates new departing trains. It operates 24 hours a day. It handles over one million cars annually. That includes both loads and empties.
You will find the CN MacMillan Yard in Vaughan Ontario. This yard spans the area around Maple and Concord districts. It runs perpendicular to the mainline. The yard stretches approximately three kilometers long. It is one kilometer wide.
The CN MacMillan Yard is bordered by major roads. Highway 407 lies to the south. Keele Street is to the east. Rutherford Road marks the northern edge. Jane Street borders the yard to the west. There are five entrances: S Yard, Jane Street, CargoFlo, Bowes, and Administration.
Back in the late 1950s, CN redesigned its Toronto track network. The CN MacMillan Yard was a key part of this. It moved freight traffic away from downtown Toronto. The Toronto bypass was born. It used new and upgraded railway lines. The first revenue train arrived on February 6, 1965. The official opening was May 17, 1965.
Many of CN’s freight operations moved here. They were once in Metropolitan Toronto at Mimico Yard and the downtown railway lands. This shift also freed up track time. It allowed GO Transit to establish commuter service along the Union Station rail corridor.
The CN MacMillan Yard features many tracks, switches, and humps. It also contains a control tower. It uses both dual and single humps for sorting. The yard offers flat switching too. Beyond car handling it provides locomotive repair, car washing, and car repair services. A CargoFlo terminal transfers materials. This includes flowable bulk and dry bulk commodities like plastics. They transfer between rail cars and tanker trucks. There is a small intermodal and RoadRailer operation as well.
Originally Vaughan was largely rural when the yard was built. Today the area is industrial. Warehousing and light manufacturing surround the yard. You will also find restaurants and retail outlets nearby.
York Region Transit routes serve the area. Many connect to the Toronto subway line. One connects to Rutherford GO Station. The nearest homes are about 150 meters from tracks carrying dangerous goods.
Accidents have occurred at the CN MacMillan Yard. In 2007 a side collision caused a derailment and a fuel leak. Dangerous goods cars carrying chlorine were involved. In 2015 runaway freight cars caused damage. Another runaway train incident occurred in 2016. In 2017 a derailment led to a chemical spill. Tragically a worker died in a 2019 derailment.
The CN MacMillan Yard stands as a testament to the ongoing movement of goods. It connects our cities and delivers the products we rely on every day. It is a vital hub in Canada’s railway network.