The amount of maintenance needed to keep Canada’s aging fleet of grain hopper cars in service is increasing. According to a recently released federal report, the number of hopper cars requiring repair rose dramatically between December 2014 and December 2015. In December 2015, the number of so-called “bad order” cars requiring heavy maintenance was listed […] Read more
Tag Archives grain transportation
CP insists it’s ready to move crop despite layoffs
Canadian Pacific Railway says it is ready to move an oversized western Canadian crop this fall. CP’s recently announced plan to lay off as many as 500 railway maintenance workers will not affect its ability to move grain efficiently, company officials added. “CP is keen to work collaboratively with all supply chain partners to continue […] Read more
Canada’s railways do good job: grain monitor
Prairie farmers were frustrated with Canada’s railway companies in the winter of 2013-14. Producers accused the railways of failing to move grain from inland terminals to port, which clogged elevators across Western Canada and slashed cash prices. The railways’ performance may have been inadequate, but it doesn’t represent the state of the grain handling system […] Read more
G3 explores Port Metro Vancouver grain terminal
Rumours of a new export grain terminal being planned for Port Metro Vancouver have proven true. G3 Global Holdings has formed a joint venture with Western Stevedoring Company Limited to examine the feasibility of building an export terminal there. G3 Global Holdings is a limited partnership between Bunge Canada and SALIC Canada. The two companies […] Read more
VIDEO: Conservatives cost farmers billions: Goodale
A Liberal government in Ottawa would take immediate steps to improve grain transportation in Western Canada, starting with a full rail costing review to examine railway operating costs and revenues derived from moving prairie grain. Ralph Goodale, a senior member of the federal Liberal party, accused the federal Conservatives of making a “colossal mess” of […] Read more
Political parties must meet farmers, say ag groups
Political parties must meet farmers, say ag groups
A coalition of Saskatchewan farm groups says Canada’s major political parties need to come up with concrete policy positions outlining steps to address chronic problems in Western Canada’s commercial railway and grain handling systems. Representatives from the Agricultural Producers Association of Sask-atchewan (APAS), the Saskatchewan Wheat Development Commission (SWDC) and the Saskatchewan Barley Development Commission […] Read more
Rail service legislation showing little effect
A law passed last year designed to improve service for railway customers has delivered no noticeable benefits for Canada’s agricultural shippers, says an executive with the Western Grain Elevators Association. That’s because no major grain companies have attempted to negotiate service agreements with Canada’s major railway companies since the Fair Rail Freight Service Act was […] Read more
Slow grain movement continues to vex farmers
Last fall’s record-breaking crop continues to cause transportation headaches for western Canadian farmers. Mark Dyck, director of logistics with CWB, said as much as seven million tonnes of wheat and durum produced in Western Canada will not make it to market this year because of supply chain constraints. “Basically, we think that carry-out on all […] Read more
Industry backbone needs muscle to work
The railways have been claiming that Bill C-52, the Fair Rail Freight Service Act, is unnecessary, stifles innovation and puts the “engine of the country’s economic growth at risk.” Canadian National Railway chief executive officer Claude Mongeau declared this fall that it is “best for the Canadian government to stick with a commercial approach to […] Read more
Rail regulation acts as drag on sector
The cost of railway infrastructure projects and network acquisition is staggering, yet Canada’s railways weigh these concerns on a regular basis. Rail’s air, trucking and marine competitors have an advantage from the outset in not having to build or maintain infrastructure. Yet rail is resilient. Despite its capital-heavy requirements, rail can withstand under-investment for years. […] Read more
