SASKATOON – Without buying a single hopper car or making any change in operating procedures, Canada’s national railways have boosted capacity of the grain fleet.
During the past year, both CN Rail and CP Rail quietly increased the weight limits on most of their prairie rail lines.
Lines previously rated at a carrying capacity of 263,000 pounds have been increased to 268,000 pounds. Those limits refer to the total weight of the rail car and its contents.
That means about 2.5 more tonnes of wheat can now be loaded into a hopper car than was previously the case.
Read Also
Agriculture ministers agree to AgriStability changes
federal government proposed several months ago to increase the compensation rate from 80 to 90 per cent and double the maximum payment from $3 million to $6 million
“The capacity of the fleet is effectively increased,” said CN spokesperson Jim Feeny. “It doesn’t affect every car, but there is a benefit.”
He said CN’s decision to review its weight limits was prompted by similar moves by U.S. railways, which in recent years have been putting heavier cars into their systems.
After a detailed engineering and equipment analysis, the decision was made to raise the weight limit on about 8,000 kilometres of CN track across the country, including most prairie lines.
“The idea behind it is to make more efficient use of the assets that are there; the rail network and the grain car fleet,” said Feeny.
Not used to the maximum
Under the old rules, a car would often reach its weight limit before it was completely full, particularly when wheat was being shipped. That unused capacity in the car represented a cost to railways and shippers.
Don Bower of CP Rail said his company raised its weight limits to coincide with the beginning of the crop year Aug. 1.
He said the change allows more grain to be shipped in each car, opens more space in country elevator and more grain will be shipped per car spot, increasing efficiency and profitability for grain handlers.
Feeny said the increased weight limit increases some railway costs. It takes more fuel to haul heavier cars, and there will be more wear and tear on the tracks.
“But our analysis showed those extra costs are offset by the increased efficiency,” he said.
