(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.

August 18, 2021: Report Synopsis

Loads on Wheels

• System loads on wheels declined marginally yesterday yet remained above the 4,000 car threshold for the second straight day.

• CN and CP volumes changed little yesterday.  At the midpoint of Week 3 daily loads on wheels are averaging just under 3,900 cars per day – 8% lower than last week.

Cars Not Moving

• System idle car counts nudged down slightly again yesterday remaining below the 1,000 car threshold for the second consecutive day.

• There was little change in idle car counts for either railway with average daily counts this week now averaging less than 1,100 cars per day – a 22% reduction from last week.

Port Unloads

• West coast unloads (324) declined slightly from the prior day consistent with car availability at the Port

• Thunder Bay unloads (118) changed little from the prior day with unloads below 200 cars for the 8th straight day.

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.