London (CN/CP Junction)

The London CN/CP diamond sits in the city's east end where Canadian National's Dundas Subdivision crosses Canadian Pacific Kansas City's Windsor Subdivision at grade. This is one of the few remaining diamonds in Ontario where two Class I railways intersect in a fully urban setting, making it accessible on foot from several public streets.

The most practical vantage point is the Quebec Street bridge, which spans the CP switching yard and offers an elevated view of both the diamond and yard operations below. From here you can see CN trains approaching on the east-west mainline and CP movements coming in from the southwest. The Florence Street area on the southeast side also provides sight lines to the CP approach.

Note that the Adelaide Street North grade crossing, which once offered a popular ground-level viewpoint, was replaced by the $87.6 million Adelaide Underpass in 2024. Road traffic now passes beneath the CP tracks through a grade separation, so the old at-grade vantage from Adelaide is no longer available. However, the rail-to-rail diamond itself remains intact and active.

The CP marshalling yard just east of Adelaide adds to the action—you will often see trains being assembled or broken down, with switching movements supplementing the mainline through-traffic. Between mainline trains and yard switching, there is rarely a dull moment. Bring a radio scanner tuned to CN and CP frequencies for advance warning of approaching trains.

The junction sits on flat urban terrain in London's east end, roughly 250 metres above sea level. The surrounding neighbourhood is a mix of light industrial properties, residential streets, and commercial development. The most prominent landmark is 100 Kellogg Lane, the former Kellogg's cereal factory that operated from 1924 until its closure in December 2014. It has since been redeveloped into a sprawling entertainment complex housing indoor adventure parks, breweries, and event spaces—a useful amenity for railfans looking to combine a train-watching session with food and activities.

The Thames River valley lies just a few blocks to the south, with green corridors along the riverbanks providing contrast to the industrial rail corridor. Sight lines along the tracks are generally open, with no overhead wires—both CN and CPKC operate diesel traction on these lines. In autumn, mature trees along residential streets near Florence Street provide warm foliage backdrops, while winter brings clean contrast between dark locomotives and snow-covered rail infrastructure.

The soundscape is distinctly industrial: crossing bells, horn blasts at nearby road crossings, the metallic clatter of wheels on the diamond frogs, and the rhythmic clanking of couplers during yard switching operations.

Canadian National operates approximately 28 trains per day on the Dundas Subdivision through London, a mix of intermodal, manifest freight, autorack, and bulk commodity trains along with VIA Rail Corridor passenger service. The CN Egerton Street yard, located nearby, serves as the hub of CN operations in Southwestern Ontario, generating additional switching movements.

VIA Rail runs approximately 12 passenger trains daily through London on the Toronto–Windsor/Sarnia Corridor routes. VIA's current fleet on the Corridor includes Siemens Venture trainsets as well as legacy F40PH-3 locomotives hauling stainless-steel coaches. Only 51% of VIA trains were on time in 2024, with the figure falling to 33% in Q3 2025, largely due to freight train priority on CN-owned tracks.

Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) operates on the Windsor Subdivision, with an estimated 11 to 30 movements per day past the diamond, including through-freights headed toward the Detroit River crossing and switching to and from the marshalling yard east of Adelaide Street. CPKC traffic tends toward mixed manifest, automotive, and energy service trains.

Track speed through the diamond is restricted to approximately 30 mph (50 km/h), giving railfans ample time for observation and photography.

The Quebec Street bridge provides the most versatile vantage point, offering an elevated perspective over the CP switching yard with the diamond visible to the west. From this bridge you can shoot down into the yard for roster-style images of locomotives during switching operations, or aim west to capture mainline movements crossing the diamond. Morning light from the east works well for southbound CP movements.

The Florence Street area on the southeast side of the crossing provides ground-level angles on CP trains approaching from the southwest on the Windsor Subdivision. Late afternoon sun illuminates westbound CN trains passing through the diamond from this position. A 70-200mm zoom lens compresses the perspective effectively as trains cross the diamond.

For CN eastbound freights departing London, positions along the north side of the tracks east of the diamond capture trains accelerating on the Dundas Subdivision with industrial buildings in the background. Early morning provides the best front lighting for eastbound movements.

Note that the Adelaide Street underpass (opened April 2024) has eliminated the former at-grade road crossing. The close-up ground-level views once available from Adelaide's sidewalks are no longer accessible in the same way. Explore streets on either side of the underpass for alternative angles where the tracks remain at grade level.

London's importance as a railway junction dates to the 1850s, when the Great Western Railway completed its mainline through the city connecting Niagara Falls to Windsor via Hamilton in 1853-54. Grand Trunk Railway also reached London from St. Mary's, making the city a significant rail hub in Southwestern Ontario. The Great Western was eventually absorbed into Grand Trunk and ultimately became part of Canadian National Railways.

The CP presence in London traces to the London Junction Railway, incorporated in 1882 by local investors to connect the city with the Credit Valley Railway's expanding network to the south. In 1883, the Credit Valley Railway leased the London Junction line, and both were amalgamated into the Ontario and Quebec Railway on November 30, 1883. Canadian Pacific Railway absorbed the O&Q on January 4, 1884, creating the diamond crossing that persists today.

The adjacent Kellogg's cereal factory, built in 1924, operated for 90 years as one of London's defining industrial landmarks, producing up to 750,000 boxes of cereal daily at its peak and employing generations of local workers. The plant closed in December 2014 after an 89-year legacy, and the site has since been reimagined as 100 Kellogg Lane, a major entertainment and commercial complex.

A significant modern chapter was written with the opening of the $87.6 million Adelaide Street North underpass in April 2024, eliminating one of the city's most problematic railway-road conflicts.

The London CN/CP diamond is one of a dwindling number of grade-level crossings between competing Class I railways in Canada. What sets it apart is the combination of high traffic volume from both CN and CPKC on mainline subdivisions, regular VIA Rail Corridor passenger service, and an active CP marshalling yard—all within a walkable urban setting accessible from public streets and a city bridge.

The 2024 Adelaide underpass, while eliminating a popular roadside vantage, improved rail operations: trains no longer need to account for road traffic at the former grade crossing, resulting in more fluid movements. The Quebec Street bridge over the CP yard provides an overhead perspective that few Ontario railfan locations can match.

The proximity of 100 Kellogg Lane—a repurposed industrial landmark housing entertainment venues, breweries, and restaurants—means railfans can combine a train-watching session with food and indoor activities, making this a viable all-day destination rather than a pure trackside stop.