Western grain movement to the Port of Vancouver was at 60 per cent of normal as of Dec. 15 and is expected to continually improve, Mark Hemmes, Canada’s grain monitor and president of Quorum Corp. said in an interview Wednesday. “I think by next week it’s going to look a lot better,” he said. “Is […] Read more
Grain movement to Vancouver picking up
Railways seen recovering from B.C. damages faster than many had expected
Vena withdraws as candidate for CN CEO role
Reuters — Canadian National Railway said on Monday Jim Vena, who was backed by a group of investors to lead the country’s largest railway operator, had pulled out of the running to serve as its new chief. Shares of CN fell as much as 6.5 per cent on the news. The former Union Pacific executive […] Read more
Thousands in B.C. still stranded by flood waters
'We are not out of this by a long shot'
Abbotsford | Reuters — Rescuers and workers in British Columbia were still trying to reach 18,000 people stranded on Thursday after floods and mudslides destroyed roads, houses and bridges in what could be the costliest natural disaster in the country’s history. Receding flood waters were helping rescue efforts, but the downpour blocked off entire towns […] Read more
B.C. calls emergency, expects more deaths from 500-year flood
Some livestock die, more are expected to be euthanized
Abbotsford | Reuters — The death toll in Canada from massive floods and landslides that devastated parts of British Columbia is set to rise, with the province declaring a state of emergency on Wednesday. Authorities have so far confirmed one death after torrential rains and mudslides destroyed roads and left several mountain towns isolated. At […] Read more
CP, Kansas City lock in new deal as CN steps out
More efficient flow of grain, perishables, machinery parts touted
Canadian Pacific Railway and U.S. railway Kansas City Southern on Wednesday again formalized their engagement after competing suitor Canadian National Railway walked away from the table. CP and KCS, which reported “unanimous” support from both companies’ boards, have entered a merger agreement committing CP to pay about $31 billion in cash and stock, or about […] Read more
Lytton wildfire has longer-term implications for rail movement
Safety board head calls it ‘a wake-up call,’ railways say they’re already taking great precautions
Reading Time: 3 minutes CP Rail has hit back at criticism that trains are a major cause of wildfires, but rail traffic will continue to be affected — at least in the short term — by the tragic events at Lytton, B.C. Two weeks after a June 30 wildfire destroyed 90 per cent of the small community and took […] Read more
A record 12 months of grain shipping for CN
Reading Time: < 1 minute CN Rail says it set another grain shipping record in February, the 12th consecutive month it has set a new record. The railway said it moved 2.28 million tonnes of Canadian grain and grain products in February, breaking the old mark of 2.12 million tonnes by seven per cent. Since the start of the crop […] 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
Grain shortage, cold snap cause delays at West Coast ports
'...the vessels continue to arrive'
MarketsFarm — Grain movement in Western Canada remains faced with significant difficulties, according to Mark Hemmes, president of Quorum Corp., which monitors rail traffic and vessel movements in Canada. February’s cold snap resulted in grain movement across the region falling below its three-year average. The most pressing issue has been a shortage of grain to […] Read more
Federal work/rest rules to be updated for railway workers
More clarifications coming, Teamsters say
A perennial sticking point in work stoppages and labour disputes at Canada’s two major railways is expected to be at least somewhat addressed within the next two and a half years. Federal Transport Minister Marc Garneau on Nov. 25 announced what’s billed as the first updates to the Duty/Rest Rules for Railway Operating Employees since […] Read more
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