Directive to Railways

[Hopalong]

The Canadian Transportation Authoriy (CTA) is receiving submissions and holding consultations on whether to extend the order on grain shipping volume for another four months.
Farmer and grain company reaction seems to be in favour but, this, in my view, is short sighted.
Some shippers, oats in particular, have suffered from railways shipping grain to meet government orders. It would seem that that RRs make more money under revenue cap or entitlement than to USA or domestic market.
Kicking the can down the road by extending the shipping order and not looking at change to revenue entitlement is short sighted.

[bucket]

So what you are trying to say is canada needs to do a comprehensive study on traffic volumes.

Good idea. They could start by looking at the amount of truck traffic that needs to be put back on rails.


The study has to look at what the railways have downloaded onto the public highway system and it's costs as ad well.

[ColevilleH2S]

No kidding Bucket, any inquiry that doesn't include the extra costs borne by producers and taxpayers to truck further distances because of fewer delivery points, is not a study of the WHOLE system.

[ColevilleH2S]

No kidding Bucket, any inquiry that doesn't include the extra costs borne by producers and taxpayers to truck further distances because of fewer delivery points, is not a study of the WHOLE system.

[bucket]

The harsh reality is that no one in Ottawa understands what I just wrote.

The youngest country on the planet has destroyed more infrastructure than two world wars.

But it makes sense when you look at the short and narrow sightedness of ritz's advisors. And try to talk to the transport ministry. What a bunch.

I will say the following again.

cn will get a refund cheque from the government. And if they get a fine farmers will pay for it through rubber stamped freight rate increases.

Either way cn knows they have the government by the bag. And the pictures they need to keep them in line.

BTW where are the farm groups that represent farmers interests?

pretty quiet on most fronts.

[bgmb]

I imagine they are regretting ripping out all the track they did 10-20 years ago

[farmaholic]

bgmb: if the "they" you're referring to is the RRs I seriously doubt it. High cost inefficient branchlines don't do much for their bottom line. Service is a foreign word, profit seems to be the only word in their vocabulary.

[bucket]

They told both government and shareholders that the costs were too high on branch lines but in reality they needed to rebuild their main lines.

So instead of building an extra 10 miles to link the branch lines to main lines they tore out hundreds of miles of rail lines.

A network of lines that was the envy of our competitors like Brazil that is just starting on that now.

Some vision our leaders both governmentally and corporately had back then.

But not much better today.

[bucket]

The study has to include the graincos costs on the public highway system as well.

[Hopalong]

Don't think another study is the answer.

More likely a change in farmer thinking to support demand or market driven solutions.

Would like to see greater effort by growers, grain companies and railways to agree on incentives that get us to do the things that society expects of us.

Have to get past an us versus them mentality.

[bucket]

Holy **** the railways make a buck a bushel.

And no one knows what the graincos are making. Minimum 1.50 a bushel as well.

But let the parasites kill the host I guess.

[foragefarmer]

I thought that the elimination of the Crow Rate was going to improve our handing system. Railways and grain companies were going to be way more efficient. That's what the WCWGA was saying. Maybe a couple of those members on Agriville could step up to the plate and explain to us the benefits so many of us seem to be missing.

Braveheart and Blackpowder were stating on a previous thread that the elimination of the Crow Rate was a good thing. Please give details of what improvements farmers have gained by this. I'm being sincere here as I can't seem to recognize any improvements.

[ado089]

I proactively ordered 4 cars into Biggar on CP in March. I figured if they came early I would find something to put in them... Still waiting.

[bucket]

If you want to have a market driven solution great.

So when I can capture west coast prices less reasonable freight cleaning elevating and fobbing charges and get a good portion of the foreign exchange I guess I would see value in that idea.

Until the first part is agreed to forget it.

[fjlip]

We had the perfect system with the Crow rate and the 1200 elevators we lost. Farmer costs went up, thousands of super b's were bought and are being worn out passing each other in all directions. Any benefits realized accrue to others, plus all taxpayers are paying billions for highways and grid roads that are being destroyed. Now farmers are screwed everyday by every other part of the supply chain. Just wonderful, BIG business calls the shots.