(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 22, 2020: Report Synopsis

Loads on Wheels

· Traffic levels declined for the sixth consecutive day, reflecting slightly lower volumes for both railways.

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

Loads Not Moving

· Loads sitting idle for more than 48 hours increased overnight for both railways – predominantly CP, which saw counts increase 50% driven by higher counts in the Vancouver and Thunder Bay corridors.  The overnight change on CN was nominal on a net basis but reflects a doubling of counts in the Prince Rupert corridor offset by improvements in the Vancouver corridor.

· 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 (1,251) increased yesterday fueled by strong performance at Vancouver (1,106) offset by lower unloads at Prince Rupert (145).

· West coast vessel counts continue to hover around 30-33 vessels per day, a consistent trend in recent weeks.  Vessel counts increased overnight (+1) reflecting higher counts at Vancouver (+1) and no change at Prince Rupert – now at 31.

· Five vessels are now scheduled to arrive at Prince Rupert and 16 vessels currently scheduled for arrival at Vancouver over the next ten days.

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.