Reading Time: 3 minutes Glacier FarmMedia – CN’s record-setting week for moving Prairie grain is impressive but it’s consistency that matters in grain transport, says the Western Grain Elevators Association. “Even an amateur golfer can hit a hole in one once in a while, but the pros hit a good ball consistently,” said Wade Sobkowich, the association’s executive director. […] Read more
Prairie grain shipping record a hopeful sign, but will it continue?
Elevator association says CN’s record week is encouraging but winter movement must stay strong
Railways in the spotlight as shipping season begins
CN and CP say they’ll get the job done but shippers and farmers are concerned
Reading Time: 4 minutes Another chapter in the great Canadian rail transport soap opera may be unfolding. The tempestuous couple — railroads and grain farmers — is on the cusp of another argument over harvest shipping. And there’s no alternative for producers. They’re locked into the relationship. Will CN Rail and CP Rail, which struggled to move a 49-million […] Read more
CN, CP railways break grain shipping records
MarketsFarm – It was a record-breaking year for both of Canada’s two major freight railways. In separate news releases to the public on August 3, both Canadian National Railway (CN Rail) and Canadian Pacific Railway (CP Rail) reported a record amount of grain moved during the 2020-21 crop year. For the first time ever, both […] Read more
Record-setting performance earns kudos for railways
Farm group offers its congratulations but says improved grain movement needs to ‘stay that way’
Reading Time: 2 minutes It’s something that would have seemed unimaginable even a few years ago — a major grain group issuing a news release just to praise the performance of the two big railways. “The Western Canadian Wheat Growers offers congratulations to both CN Rail and CP for the record volume of grain and grain products moved in […] Read more
Minister revises order on rail speed limits in cold weather
Higher-risk trains can back up other rail traffic; revised order eases some restrictions
Reading Time: 2 minutes The federal transport minister has revised an order that railways feared would unnecessarily slow down freight traffic on frigid winter days. The new rule dials back one issued last spring after the fiery derailment of a CP Rail train carrying crude oil near Guernsey, Sask. in February. Although the order by the federal transport minister was […] Read more
Railways say they’re more prepared than ever
Increased capital spending and better technology will improve performance, CN and CP both say
Reading Time: 3 minutes When the federal government passed the Transportation Modernization Act in 2018, the headline news was the requirement for railways to negotiate level-of-service agreements with grain companies — and face penalties for poor service. But the act also requires the railways to produce ‘winter plans’ to show how they’ll keep grain moving when the weather turns […] Read more
Working on the railroad — and getting grain moving
Things aren’t perfect but railways and farm groups are slowly rebuilding trust after years of conflict
Reading Time: 4 minutes They’re not besties yet — but the relationship between farm groups and the railways has undergone a sea change over the last few years. After years of vociferous complaints about poor rail service, the federal government cracked the whip in 2014, ordering CP and CN Rail to move one million tonnes of grain weekly or […] Read more
Crop year ends with grain export record
Both major railways have announced record grain shipments, and with a more than a week left in the crop year, total Canadian grain exports had already topped last year’s record. The Canadian Grain Commission reports that as of July 21, with 10 days left in the 2018-19 crop year, total exports of Canadian grain had […] Read more
Railway pace ahead of last year
Both major rail companies were on track for good performance coming into 2019, but poor weather has derailed their progress
Reading Time: 5 minutes Grain shipments by rail are leaps and bounds ahead of last year — but there’s still a long way to go. “I think both railways have really stepped up the volume, but we haven’t been without our issues,” said Mark Hemmes, president of Quorum Corporation, the agency tasked with monitoring grain movement by rail. “If […] Read more
Upgrades slated for a host of crossings
Seventeen rail crossings will see upgrades in the coming year in locations across the province
Reading Time: 2 minutes The federal government is spending $3.3 million to improve rail safety at 18 locations in Alberta. The funds will be used on three types of projects: Install flashing lights, bells, and gates at crossings. Install advanced train detection and crossing control system. build fencing and other barriers to discourage trespassing on railway properties. Almost half […] Read more
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