(Adds forecast, details)
April 24 (Reuters) - Canadian National Railway Co CNR.TO on Monday reported an 8 percent increase in quarterly revenue as the railroad moved higher volumes of Canadian grain and U.S. commodities.
Canada's largest railroad company said total carloads rose 9 percent in the first quarter ended March 31.
CN also said it expects to earn more on a per-share basis this year.
The company now expects 2017 adjusted earnings of C$4.95-C$5.10 per share, up from last year's earnings of C$4.59 per share.
CN also increased its 2017 capital investment forecast by C$100 million to C$2.6 billion ($1.93 billion), of which C$1.6 billion will go toward track infrastructure, the company said.
The railroad said net income rose to C$884 million or C$1.16 per share in the first quarter, from C$792 million or C$1 per share, a year earlier.
Excluding one-time items, CN earned C$1.15 per share, in line with analysts' average estimate, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.
Revenue rose to C$3.21 billion from C$2.96 billion.
($1 = 1.3504 Canadian dollars)