(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 28, 2020: Report Synopsis

Loads on Wheels

· Loads on wheels increased slightly yesterday staying above the 12,000 car threshold for the fourth straight day.  The increase seen yesterday reflects higher volumes for CN offset by lower volumes for CP.

· Two days into the current week, average daily volumes are tracking 10% higher than at this point last week, reflecting higher volumes for both railways.

Cars Not Moving

· The count of cars not moving on a system basis declined slightly yesterday on the heels of five consecutive days of increasing counts.  Yesterday’s decline reflects lower counts for CN, offset to some extent by a slight uptick in CP counts.  Early in the week average daily counts continue to track some 20% higher than at this point last week.

Port Unloads

· West coast unloads (1,163) declined marginally yesterday, reflecting slightly lower unloads at Vancouver and improved unloads at Prince Rupert although the latter 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