Grain Week 7‏-Ag Transport Coalition Railway Performance Report

[TOM4CWB]

Key figures from Grain Week 7:

CN and CP supplied 7,527 (87%) of the 8,630 hopper cars ordered for delivery in Grain Week 7 resulting in 1,103 hopper car orders remaining outstanding.
Timeliness of car supply: CN supplied 90 % and CP 84% of the hopper cars that were ordered for Grain Week 7.
Non-bulk and USA/Mexico performance: CN supplied 82% and CP 35% of the hopper cars ordered for Grain Week 7.
Thunder Bay performance: CN supplied 95% and CP 94% of the hopper cars ordered for Grain Week 7.
591 (8%) of the cars ordered for Grain Week 7 were supplied early (the prior week).
Grain Year to Date

88% of hopper car orders have been delivered by CN and CP for the want week.
7% of hopper car orders have arrived 1 week late.
1% of hopper car orders have arrived 2 weeks late.
3% of hopper car orders are outstanding.
904 cars supplied by railways have been rejected by shippers as unsuitable for loading due to mechanical or sanitary reasons.
Past weekly reports can be found on the Ag Transport Coalition website: www.agtransportcoalition.com



* The Ag Transportation Coalition is comprised of the Canadian Canola Growers Association (CCGA), the Alberta Wheat Commission (AWC), Pulse Canada, the Manitoba Pulse Growers Association (MPGA), The Western Grain Elevator Association (WGEA), the Canadian Oilseed Processors Association (COPA), the Inland Terminal Association of Canada (ITAC) and the Canadian Special Crops Association (CSCA).

[Hamloc]

There is an article in the last western producer in which the executive Vice President of CN is discussing laying off workers and that he sees reduced demand for grain and oil movement in 2015-2016 on rail. It looks to me that they have room for improvement in supplying cars yet.

[Jdhot]

It is the management style of CN/CP to want their work force to operate at 100% all the time. In grain if there are weeks where shipping is slower then management says reduce workforce. Bean counter management. If they are to operate at peak labour efficiency then they would always have more freight booked than they could move. Therefore the strategy of always have freight booked that has to wait. Which freight do you think that is?