By Chris Brown

Keeping it moving

Rail companies set record for grain and grain products

Nov 3, 2020 | 11:44 AM

CALGARY – Canadian Pacific moved more than three million metric tonnes (MMT) of grain and grain products in October.

At 3.04 MMT, it’s the first time ever that CP has moved more than three million metric tonnes in one month. It betters the previous high, set in April 2020, by 6.9 per cent.

“CP’s customers are managing strong and healthy supply chains to the ports, where new and expanded terminal capacity is facilitating very strong flows of grain,” said Joan Hardy, CP vice-president sales and marketing grain and fertilizers. “The CP family of railroaders ensured our customers and farmers received strong service through harvest and in turn created robust performance across the network to continue setting grain-shipping records.”

The company is continuing to add to its grain handling fleet each week. In 2018 CP committed to adding 5,900 new hoppers into service and so far it has added 3,300. The new high-efficiency cars carry 15 per cent more grain volume and 10 per cent more weight than the cars they are replacing.

“CP’s record-setting performance has enabled us to support the investments we have made in our grain-handling network, which includes port terminals on the east and west coasts,” said Darwin Sobkow, Chief Operations Officer of Richardson International. “This impressive performance is achieved at the time of year when grain movement is critical to all participants in the value chain, including farmers and international customers. CP has been able to respond to global demand for Canadian agricultural products, and through our collaborated efforts, has allowed us to set some monthly records of our own.”

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CN Rail is reporting that it moved 3.27 MMT in October. It says its shipments were 13.5 per cent above its previous record of 2.88 MMT set a year ago.

With files from The Canadian Press