(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.

December 13, 2021: Report Synopsis

Loads on Wheels

System loads on wheels declined slightly yesterday for the second straight day but remain above 8,200 cars, much where volumes have been for the last couple of weeks.

The net decline yesterday reflects a notable dip in CN volumes offset in part by higher volumes for CP.

Cars Not Moving

After increasing significantly over the weekend, system idle car counts declined yesterday returning counts below the 2,300 car mark.

The improvement yesterday is principally driven by lower counts for CN although there were improvement across the board.

Port Unloads

West coast unloads (781) declined somewhat from the strong performance seen the prior day reflecting lower unloads at Vancouver and slightly higher unloads at Prince Rupert.

Thunder Bay unloads (357) bounced back yesterday as anticipated given the number of cars on site at the port yesterday.

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.