(Daily updates will be available on the Alberta Pulse Growers website.)

Pulse Canada and the CSCA are partners of the Ag Transport Coalition (ATC)*, which tracks performance of the Canadian railway network for the movement of grain.

A daily report has been created to provide stakeholders with insight on the performance of the Canadian rail system as it attempts to remain resilient during the COVID-19 pandemic and continues recovering from a series of physical network disruptions in the months of January and February 2020.

May 20, 2020: Report Synopsis

Loads on Wheels

· Traffic levels declined for the fourth consecutive day, reflecting notably lower volumes on CN offset by slightly higher volumes on CP.

· System volumes continue their downward trajectory having fallen to their lowest single day level since early March.

Loads Not Moving

· Loads sitting idle for more than 48 hours declined slightly overnight for the second consecutive day, reflecting lower counts for both railways.

· Average daily counts last week rose slightly from the prior week for both railways, although remain below levels that might be considered problematic.

Port Performance

· West coast port unloads (1,327) surpassed 1,300 cars for only the third time in the last four months fueled by strong unloads at Prince Rupert.

· West coast vessel counts continue to hover around 30-33 vessels per day, a consistent trend in recent weeks.  Vessel counts declined overnight (-2) reflecting lower counts at Vancouver (-3) and higher counts at Prince Rupert (+1) – now at 31.

· Six vessels are now scheduled to arrive at Prince Rupert and 18 vessels currently scheduled for arrival at Vancouver over the next two weeks.

All daily resiliency reports are available on the Pulse Canada website.

*The Ag Transportation Coalition is comprised of the Canadian Canola Growers Association (CCGA), Alberta Wheat Commission (AWC), Pulse Canada, Manitoba Pulse Growers Association (MPGA), Western Grain Elevator Association (WGEA), Saskatchewan Wheat Development Commission, Inland Terminal Association of Canada (ITAC) and the Canadian Special Crops Association (CSCA).

For more information, go to www.agtransportcoalition.com.