Frustration is mounting within Canada’s grain industry as persistent rail delays continue to disrupt shipments and inflate costs, particularly at ports on Canada’s west coast.
Tag Archives grain transportation — page 2
Farmers pay price as railway delays deepen
Farmers pay the price, but regulatory demands called moot without quantifiable data
Shippers fear rail stoppage ‘catastrophe’
OTTAWA (Reuters) — North American industry groups and shippers are bracing for an unprecedented simultaneous stoppage at both of Canada’s main railways that could inflict billions of dollars’ worth of economic damage. Canada is the world’s second-largest country by area and relies heavily on trains to transport grain, automobiles, potash, coal and other goods. “It’s […] Read more
U.S. exports slow as Panama Canal dries up
Low water levels in the Panama Canal are not disrupting Canadian grain shipments, but they are causing turmoil for exporters in the United States. Transit capacity in the canal has been reduced to 24 ships per day through the end of November, according to a news release from the Panama Canal Authority (PAC). That compares […] Read more
Credit agency monitors grain shipments
Credit rating agency DBRS Morningstar is watching western Canadian wildfires to see if grain movement will be affected. In a commentary released May 17, the agency said it didn’t believe the current fires would disrupt movement too much. Canadian National Railway had temporarily halted all trains on its main line between Edmonton and Jasper at […] Read more
Credit agency monitors grain shipments
In a commentary released May 17, DBRS Morningstar said it didn't believe the current fires would disrupt movement too much.
Saskatchewan farmers want expanded railway interswitching
Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan calls for action on recommendation to increase competitiveness
Saskatchewan’s general farm organization has called for expanded railway interswitching to be implemented in May as recommended by a national task force last autumn. Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan president Ian Boxall said he hoped to meet with transport officials this week while in Ottawa to press the point. Last October, the national supply chain […] Read more
Grain floods into west coast ports
Elevator companies are not reporting major problems as the shipping season shapes up to be a ‘banner year’
Shipments of grains and oilseeds continue to move briskly through west coast export terminals, thanks to mild winter weather and steady deliveries by Canada’s major railway companies. “Things have been going pretty smoothly, knock on wood,” said Mark Hemmes, president of Quorum Corp., the company that monitors Canada’s prairie grain-handling and transportation system on behalf […] Read more
Workers off the job at CN
The chief operating officer of Canadian National Railway has written an open letter to the company’s 750 striking workers stating it remains open to resolving outstanding issues either through agreement or binding operations. The June 20 letter from COO and executive vice-president Rob Reilly comes after employees of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) […] Read more
St. Lawrence Seaway shipping off to good start
Potash shipments have nearly doubled and shippers say they are prepared to pick up global slack caused by Ukraine war
Canadian Great Lakes ports saw a 26 percent decrease in prairie grain shipments through the St. Lawrence Seaway coming into this spring but as the war in Ukraine rages on and other coastal ports remain jammed, the seaway route is ready to pick up the slack. Potash shipments have nearly doubled, with April alone seeing […] Read more
‘Essential’ designation for rail service unlikely, says expert
The recent and short-lived rail service disruption at Canadian Pacific Railway created uncertainty for rail shippers and caused further damage to Canada’s international reputation as a reliable supplier of commodities, say sources in Canada’s grain and fertilizer industries. Even so, it’s unlikely the railway industry will ever be designated an essential service in Canada, according […] Read more
