(Regular 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 new grain network status report has been created to provide stakeholders with comprehensive insight on the performance of the Canadian rail system for the 2020-2021 grain year.  The report provides information and data on the status of the rail network as of midnight the previous day.

The railway performance data reported in these reports reflect the performance of rail shipments specifically for grain shippers participating in the Ag Transport Coalition’s railway performance measurement program – estimated to encompass approximately 90-95% of western Canadian originated grain shipments by rail.

September 8, 2020: Report Synopsis

Loads on Wheels

· System loads on wheels finished out last week averaging fewer than 10,800 cars per day – about 1% lower than the prior week.

· Loads on wheels declined yesterday for the first time in four days falling slightly below 11,000 cars, reflecting lower volumes for both CN and CP.  Three days into the current week, average daily volumes are tracking slightly ahead of last week at this point at 11,126 cars per day, reflecting lower volumes on CN and higher volumes on CP as compared to last week.

Cars Not Moving

· The count of loaded cars not moving for 2+ days declined significantly on a system basis yesterday after rising for three straight days.  The overnight decline reflects lower counts for both CN and CP in nearly equal measure.

Port Unloads

· West coast unloads (1,269) rebounded significantly yesterday following the Labour Day holiday, driven by more than 1,200 unloads reported at Vancouver.  Prince Rupert unloads remain low as they return from a weekend maintenance shutdown.

All daily network status 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