(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.

March 29, 2021: Report Synopsis

Loads on Wheels

· Loads on wheels finished out last week averaging 10,400 cars per day, some 6% lower than the prior week and consistent with the trend seen throughout much of the week.

· Loads on wheels declined slightly yesterday yet remained above the 11,000 car threshold for the 3rd straight day.  Early this week CP volumes are up and CN down.

Cars Not Moving

· At fewer than 1,500 cars per day on average last week idle car counts saw their lowest levels for both railways in more than three months.

· Counts increased slightly yesterday but remain below the 1,500 car threshold for the 7th straight day.

Port Unloads

· At fewer than 1,100 per day west coast unloads declined last week to the lowest levels in five weeks driven by below average unloads at Vancouver.

· Unloads nudged above the 1,000 car mark yesterday reflecting good unloads at Prince Rupert and sub par unloads at Vancouver – short of 1,000 cars for the 8th time in 9 days.

For more information, go to www.agtransportcoalition.com* 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). All daily network status reports are available on the Pulse Canada website.