(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 5, 2022: Report Synopsis

Loads on Wheels

After three straight days of decline, we saw an uptick in system loads on wheels yesterday, returning above the 10,000 car threshold for the first time in four days.

Both railways seeing increased volumes yesterday in nearly equal measure with CP nudging above the 5,000 car mark for the first time in six days.

Cars Not Moving

Little change in system idle car counts yesterday, declining only modestly and remaining above the 1,400 car threshold for the 3rd straight day.

A tale of two railways yesterday with CN seeing some improvement – reducing counts by a third – while CP counts increased by nearly the same amount.

Port Unloads

West coast unloads (784) posting their lowest one day total in six weeks reflecting slightly better unloads at Vancouver and a significant drop off at Prince Rupert as was anticipated.

Thunder Bay unloads (279) down from the prior day and below the 300 car mark for the first time in 10 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.