(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.

June 9, 2021: Report Synopsis

Loads on Wheels

• Loads on wheels declined slightly yesterday remaining above the 8,000 car threshold for the 5th consecutive day.

• Higher traffic volumes have persisted through the first five days of the current grain week and continue to outpace last week’s levels by 26% at this juncture.

Cars Not Moving

• System counts of idle cars saw notable improvement yesterday declining 20% and falling near 1,500 cars back within the range we have seen in recent weeks.

• Yesterday’s improvement reflected lower counts on CN but was largely fuelled by a 24% drop on CP lowering counts below 1,000 cars for the first time in a week.

Port Unloads

• West coast unloads (944) saw their best day in a week largely driven by 150+ unloads reported at the Port of Prince Rupert – the first reported unloads in nine days.

• Reported unloads at Thunder Bay once again fell short of the 250 car mark for the 6th straight day.  Early in week 45 unloads continue to track almost 50% lower than last week

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.