(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 21, 2020: Report Synopsis

Loads on Wheels

· Traffic volumes last week finished out the week some 5% higher than the prior week, averaging more than 11,800 cars per day.  The increase last week reflects a 10% bump in traffic levels for CN while CP volumes nudged up only slightly.

·  Loads on wheels declined slightly yesterday for the fourth straight day reflecting lower volumes on CN and higher volumes for CP.

Cars Not Moving

· After rising above 2,500 cars late last week, the count of idle cars on a system basis has declined steadily over the last five days.

· The count of loaded cars not moving for 2+ days declined yesterday for both railways and have now fallen below 1,500 cars for the two railways combined.  Despite the recent decline early in the week, counts continue to average some 36% higher than they were at this time last week.

Port Unloads

· West coast unloads (1,013) declined yesterday but remained above the 1,000 car mark for the 4th straight day.  Prince Rupert unloads once again fell short of the 200 car benchmark.

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