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
Tag Archives grain transportation
CN announces leadership changes
Canada’s largest railway company is getting a new top executive. Canadian National Railway announced today that Tracy Robinson will serve as the company’s new president and chief executive officer, effective Feb. 28. Robinson will replace outgoing CN president JJ Ruest, who announced his retirement late last year. Ruest will continue to serve in an advisory […] Read more
Grain shipments uncertain amid B.C. floods
It is too early to determine the effect of massive floods in British Columbia’s Lower Mainland on grain movement, according to the company monitoring Canada’s grain handling and transportation system. As much as 200 millimetres of rain earlier this week have triggered mudslides and cut access to rail lines and highways east of Vancouver. The […] Read more
B.C. flooding cuts access to Port of Vancouver
UPDATED: November 16, 2021 – 1625 CST – The movement of agricultural commodities from the Prairies to the West Coast is being disrupted by extreme flooding in British Columbia. Reuters is reporting that all rail access to the Port of Vancouver has been cut by floods and landslides in the B.C. interior, which could sideline […] Read more
Grain sector dodges bullet on trucker shortage
Crisis is getting worse in Canada, but ag industry thinks it has been spared because of its reliance on short haul trucking
A chronic and ever-worsening truck driver shortage in Canada has not had a big impact on grain transportation to date, says an industry official. There will be an estimated 17,230 truck driver vacancies per year between 2021 and 2025, according to Trucking HR Canada. In the second quarter of 2021, more than 18,000 vacancies existed, […] Read more
CN’s abrupt end to freight forwarding surprises shippers
Canadian National Railway is wasting no time transforming itself into a leaner and more profitable railway company, following its failed bid to acquire American rail carrier Kansas City Southern. According to sources, CN has initiated a process aimed at downsizing or terminating freight forwarding services offered by CN Worldwide, the company’s international freight management division. […] Read more
Shipping container volume may drop 75 percent
The usual post-harvest flow of pulses moving to overseas markets in containers off the West Coast will be more like a trickle this year. “We’re anticipating probably a quarter of the volume to move through Vancouver in the coming year versus historical trends,” said Stephen Paul, vice-president of supply chain logistics for Ray-Mont Logistics. He […] Read more
CN scraps Kansas City Southern bid; paves way for CP
(Reuters) — Canadian National Railway said today it would not proceed with its $29.6 billion offer for Kansas City Southern, citing regulatory hurdles and paving the way for the U.S. railroad to be bought by rival Canadian Pacific Railway. “There have been significant changes to the U.S. regulatory landscape since CN launched its initial proposal […] Read more
Rare inbound grain shipment recorded at Thunder Bay
Year-to-date grain shipments through Ontario’s Port of Thunder Bay are sharply lower than they were a year ago, the port authority said this week. Thunder Bay’s total grain shipments from Jan. 1, 2021 to through the end of August were just a shade more than four million tonnes, the port authority said in a news […] Read more
Kansas City Southern puts off shareholder meet after $29 bln deal suffers setback
Sept 1 (Reuters) – Kansas City Southern said it would adjourn a shareholders’ meeting that on Friday was set to vote on its proposed acquisition by Canadian National Railway Co after the $29 billion deal was dealt a blow by regulators. The U.S. Surface Transportation Board (STB) rejected on Tuesday a voting trust structure that […] Read more
