Railroads complain of Farmer interference

[ColevilleH2S]

I laughed and laughed at this Financial Post article about how hard done by the Railroads are, but it wasn't the least bit funny. The A-holes lease out capacity, remove track, layoff workers and wonder why they are being blamed for negligent service. Astounding!

[URL="http://business.financialpost.com/2015/01/16/stop-using-the-canadian-rail-industry-as-a-political-scapegoat/"]Rail is a Political Scapegoat[/URL]

[bucket]

Anyone ever see freight rates decline?


Didn't think so.

[carebear300]

My heart bleeds pure piss for them!!!! Record profits and very little government regulation, desp;ite what they maintain. They do it their way or they don"t do it.Pardon me but I have just about listened to enough horse excrement over the last forty years from the railways and the govedrnment flunkies who help to protect them. Must make big politioal contributions to get away with what they do!!!!!!!

[sumdumguy]

Long haul fuel surcharges are gone now. Next ocean freight. Hallelujah!

[Hopalong]

Burlington Northern railway rep advises Canadian wheat growers to move away from support for revenue entitlement agreement.
Hear others say there is no plan to replace our ageing hopper car fleet.
Better to start paying more now rather than wait until cars are worn out and we have lost even more in market and trade opportunity.

[bucket]

Hold on. You are saying that the current freight rates do not cover the cost of replacement/maintenance on the existing fleet?

Well I will be god damned because for years the railways over charged us for that service.

The whole purpose of the current rates is to account for replacement. And most industries own their own fleet. That means the graincos should be owning cars. It's their grain after my slides open.

Pioneer has started a fleet.

[Guest]

pioneer should be in good shape to buy a fleet , and they can add to it from the $1.42 they are stealing from producers who are growing nexera canola for them . yes, up to a $1.42/bushel less than the three nexera buyers around here, and this screwing is directed at farmers that were good enough to grow it for them on a producer contract . and no supposedly that producer does not have the right to market that nexera to another buyer .or they can dip into their wheat robbery fund and buy cars also , thanks pioneer!!!

[bucket]

Funny story.

I was delivering grain to a pioneer location and as I was waiting, a 100 car unit train went by. All the cars had richardson logo on the side.

Couple of numbers and phone calls it seems they have bought used cars and refurbished them.

But new cars could be bought for 150k so I am not sure why it's a big expense for someone to buy cars?

Only farmer groups have been denied buying anything like that.

Maybe like the shippers of other products someone should start making provisions for renewal of the fleet.

[wmoebis]

Anyone know how many trips to port o how many tonnes a single car hauls in a year? How much average revenue a single car produces a year?

[bucket]

I am guessing but let's say the average wheat car make 20 turns. So it hauls 2000 tonnes to the coast at an overall average of 35 bucks a tonne. So my guess would be a car could gross 70000 a year.

This is just a wild ass guess.

[wmoebis]

I find it funny that Rogers foods in Chilliwack and Abotsford and a lot of livestock producer in interior BC. can pick up grain all over the prairies in those little convertible grain trailers and still make it pay yet RR/grain Co's can't move or make money on rail cars they didn't even pay for.

[fjlip]

Costs $150000, grosses $70000/ year, what costs are there, NO fuel?
Sounds like a good investment, better than land!