(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.

February 27, 2022: Report Synopsis

Loads on Wheels

System loads on wheels finished out week 30 with a minor surge of cars coming on line on Friday but fell short of the prior week by 2% averaging 5,665 cars per day.

The net decline last week reflects lower volumes for CN while CP volumes increased marginally but no significant change for either railway.

Cars Not Moving

System idle car counts never fully recovered from the spike seen a week ago Sunday to begin week 30, with daily average counts rising for the first time in four weeks averaging 1,700+ cars per day.

CN counts held steady week over week while the net overall increase was driven directly by a 50% jump in CP counts.

Port Unloads

West coast unloads declined 24% last week as compared to the prior week averaging 450 cars per day – the lowest level in six weeks.

Unloads were down at both Prince Rupert and Vancouver last week consistent with the trend seen for each throughout the 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.