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Grain performance for 2022 - 2023 crop year

Working in close collaboration with Canadian government officials, CPKC has developed a system that allows for open and transparent sharing of information to government on its grain movements. 

In addition to the information being shared with Transport Canada, CPKC voluntarily publishes a weekly supply chain scorecard. The scorecard outlines CPKC's performance for the previous grain week and includes, when necessary, detailed information on any internal or external factors affecting grain movement. The scorecard includes movements of Western Canadian grain and grain products consistent with those required by the minimum mandate legislation of 2013-14, as well as movements of soybeans and other non-regulated principal field crops.

​CPKC’s Performance 2019 - 2023 Crop Years, including Week 43

Grain scorecard performance chart for 2022-2023 Crop Year


(click here for a larger image)

 

Supply Chain Scorecard for Week 43, 2022 - 2023

​Metric Tonnes​​​​
​Thunder Bay
​Vancouver​Eastern Canada​Western Canada​
​US DestinationsTotal
​​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 
​Week 43, May 21 - May 27
47,235​107,385​11,752​252​89,984​265,608​
  • ​CPKC moved 256,608 metric tonnes of Canadian grain and grain products in Week 43.
  • Railcar and Dedicated Train demand levels remain below the tonnage target in the 2022-2023 Grain Service Outlook Report.
  • Demand for grain transportation has fallen even though CPKC understands farmers have significant volumes of product in storage. 
  • Due to low customer demand, CPKC continues to place hopper cars into storage. More hopper cars are stored now than during the same period last year when the Western Canadian crop was significantly reduced due to drought.
  • This low demand is undermining Canada’s ability to maximize the export of grain to global markets. Maximizing grain exports requires customers to use the supply chain capacity available throughout the entirety of the crop year. 
  • The grain supply chain simply cannot move all the grain at once if farmers hold off selling their products, waiting for a specific market price. 
  • The only way to maximize supply chain throughput is to have continuous, efficient, and balanced movements from in-country grain elevators to port terminal facilities throughout the duration of the crop year.​  ​ ​ ​ ​
​Week 42, May 14 - May 20
66,134​150,135​6,563​15,324​84,070​
322,225​
  • ​CPKC moved 322,225 metric tonnes of Canadian grain and grain products in Week 42.
  • Railcar and Dedicated Train demand levels remain below the tonnage target in the 2022-2023 Grain Service Outlook Report.
  • Demand for grain transportation has fallen even though CPKC understands farmers have significant volumes of product in storage. 
  • Due to low customer demand, CPKC is placing hopper cars into storage. There are more hopper cars stored now than during the same period last year, when the Western Canadian crop was significantly reduced due to drought.​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​
​Week 41, May 7 - May 13
99,787​199,789​7,298​1,595​83,265​391,734​
  • CPKC moved 391,734 metric tonnes of Canadian grain and grain products in Week 41.
  • Railcar and Dedicated Train demand levels continue to remain below the tonnage target in the 2022-2023 Grain Service Outlook Report.
  • Due to low customer demand, CPKC is placing hopper cars into storage.​ ​ ​
​Week 40, April 30 - May 6
116,449​215,782​5,557​12,385​74,530​424,703​
  • ​CPKC moved 424,703 metric tonnes of Canadian grain and grain products in Week 40.
  • Railcar and Dedicated Train demand levels continue to remain below the tonnage target in the 2022-2023 Grain Service Outlook Report.​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​
​Week 39, April 23 - April 29
132,716​310,340​13,743​1,621​111,754​570,174​
  • ​CPKC moved 570,174 metric tonnes of Canadian grain and grain products in Week 39.
  • Current and forecasted demand levels remain below the tonnage target in th2022-2023 Grain Service Outlook Report. As a result, CPKC has begun placing hopper cars into storage.​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​
​Week 38, April 16 - April 22
80,386​312,785​7,527​593​122,222​523,513​
  • ​CPKC moved 523,513 metric tonnes of Canadian grain and grain products in Week 38.
  • Demand remains below the tonnage target in the 2022-2023 Grain Service Outlook Report, for the third consecutive week.
  • Current demand is significantly below the capacity that CPKC has resourced on our rail network for Canadian grain transportation, which is based on customer forecasting. As of April 25, more than a quarter of the dedicated train capacity that grain shippers have contracted with CPKC is idled with the number of train sets down due to lack of demand. Reduced demand results in lost capacity that cannot be recovered.
  • Demand for grain transportation has fallen even though CPKC understands farmers have significant volumes of product in storage. 
  • This low demand is undermining Canada’s ability to maximize the export of grain to global markets. Maximizing grain exports requires customers to use the supply chain capacity available throughout the entirety of the crop year. 
  • The grain supply chain simply cannot move all the grain at once if farmers hold off selling their products, waiting for a specific market price. 
  • The only way to maximize supply chain throughput is to have continuous, efficient, and balanced movements from in-country grain elevators to port terminal facilities, throughout the duration of the crop year.
Week 37, April 9 - April 15
119,498
227,550​18,946​4,570​160,472​531,036​
  • ​CP moved 531,036 metric tonnes of Canadian grain and grain products in Week 37, including a third consecutive week of robust tonnage to Thunder Bay.
  • Customer demand for dedicated train sets is softening, with demand falling below the tonnage target in the 2022-2023 Grain Service Outlook Report. Reduced demand results in lost capacity that cannot be recovered.​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​
​Week 36, April 2 - April 8
163,260​308,169​5,322​3,511​84,955​565,217​
  • ​CP moved 565,217 metric tonnes of Canadian grain and grain products in Week 36, including a second consecutive week of robust tonnage to Thunder Bay.
  • CP would like to recognize the efforts of the total supply chain, which helped CP unload a record number of railcars at Vancouver terminals on April 3, beating the previous single-day record set on Sept. 11, 2016. 
  • Customer demand for dedicated train sets is softening, with demand falling below the tonnage target in the 2022-2023 Grain Service Outlook Report. Reduced demand results in lost capacity that cannot be recovered.​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​
​Week 35, March 26 - April 1
177,635​339,557​9,080​16,540​148,392​691,204​
  • ​CP has again set a new weekly tonnage record (week 35) for transporting Canadian grain and products.
  • CP moved 691,204 metric tonnes of Canadian grain and grain products in Week 35, exceeding the supply target outlined in our 2022-2023 Grain Service Outlook Report for when the Port of Thunder Bay is open.
  • A spring snowstorm with high winds is forecast for the Prairies and the U.S. Midwest during Week 36. 
  • CP is closely monitoring spring conditions across the property, specifically in Southern Manitoba and the upper Mississippi River areas. CP is not expecting near-term flooding. CP will continue to provide updates and monitor conditions.​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​
​Week 34, March 19 - March 25
108,945​384,435​7,138​2,002​112,505​615,025​
  • CP transported 615,025 metric tonnes of Canadian grain and grain products in Week 34, exceeding the winter supply target outlined in our 2022-2023 Grain Service Outlook Report.
  • CP continues to work with grain customers to ramp up trains destined for the Port of Thunder Bay as it re-opens for the 2023 season.
  • In Week 34, CP transported 108,945 metric tonnes of grain and grain products to Thunder Bay, nearly doubling the volume transported to Thunder Bay during the prior week.
  • The Port of Thunder Bay is an important outlet for the Canadian grain supply chain, but it closes during the winter months when the St. Lawrence Seaway freezes. This constrains the overall export capacity of Canada’s grain supply chain during the winter.​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​
​Week 33, March 12 - March 18
56,191​357,175​25,457​8,533​82,914​530,270​
  • CP moved 530,270 metric tonnes of Canadian grain and grain products in Week 33, once again exceeding the weekly performance target outlined in CP’s 2022-2023 Grain Service Outlook Report.
  • ​Clearing switches of ice and snow is a key part of safety. Spring's warmer days and cold overnight temperatures can create thaw-freeze conditions affecting equipment, including switches. Customers can review the Customer Safety Handbook for more information.
  • The St. Lawrence Seaway 2023 season opens March 22. CP is working with grain customers to prepare for the reopening. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​
​Week 32, March 5 - March 11
64,461​308,798​29,932​3,837​151,176​558,204​
  • ​CP moved 558,204 metric tonnes of Canadian grain and grain products in Week 32, exceeding the weekly performance target outlined in CP’s 2022-2023 Grain Service Outlook Report by 6.57 percent.
  • Winter weather in western and central Canada later in the week caused highway closures and created challenging operating conditions for CP and customers. 
  • CP’s customers are continuing to direct trains to the Port of Thunder Bay in anticipation of the seaway reopening at the end of March. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​
​Week 31, February 26 - March 4
16,133​440,765​37,806​15,518​129,012​639,234​
  • ​CP moved 639,234 metric tonnes of Canadian grain and grain products in Week 31, which is a new tonnage record for Week 31, and a performance that exceeds the weekly target in CP's 2022-2023 Grain Service Outlook Report by 22 percent.
  • This new record builds on other records CP set during the 2022-23 crop year, including in October (compared to all other months), in January (compared to every other January in our 142-year history), and in weeks 19, 24, 28 and 29 (compared to all other Week 19s, 24s, 28s and 29s). Additionally, ​in February 2023, CP moved more than 2.045 million metric tonnes (MMT), bringing the volume to within one train load of the February 2021 record, which was 2.058 MMT. 
  • Grain companies are beginning to route grain and grain products to the Port of Thunder Bay to fill storage silos in anticipation of the seaway reopening at the end of March. 
  • CP expects cold weather across much of our rail network beginning March 6 until later in the week. The cold temperatures are expected to extend from the Prairie operating region (Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba) to Northern Ontario and south through North Dakota and Minnesota. 
​Week 30, February 19 - February 25
- ​​342,132
​16,444
​2,633
​96,247
​457,456
  • ​In February 2023, CP moved more than 2.045 million metric tonnes (MMT) of Canadian grain and grain products, making it the second-largest February on record behind February 2021, which was 2.058 MMT.
  • In Week 30, CP moved 457,456 metric tonnes of Canadian grain and grain products, which matches the three-year average when the St. Lawrence Seaway is closed.
  • The extreme cold temperatures experienced in Week 30 from the Prairies to Northern Ontario caused the activation of CP's winter operating plan, including train length and speed restrictions.  As a result, grain transportation volumes decreased 12.6 percent compared to the previous week. Extreme cold conditions reduce the grain supply chain's velocity and throughput capacity, unavoidable but temporary outcomes required to maintain safe railway operations. Read more about CP's Winter Contingency Plan here.​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​
​Week 29, February 12 - February 18
-​
373,367​20,394​2,273​127,601​523,635​
  • ​CP has once again set a new weekly tonnage record for the transportation of Canadian grain and products.
  • CP moved 523,635 metric tonnes of Canadian grain and grain products in Week 29, which is a new tonnage record for Week 29, and a performance that exceeds the weekly target  in CP's 2022-2023 Grain Service Outlook Report.
  • This new records builds on other records set during the 2022-23 crop year, including in October (compared to all other months), in January (compared to every other January in our 142-year history), and in weeks 19, 24 and 28 (compared to all other Week 19s, 24s and 28s).
  • As a reminder, more than 85 percent of grain and grain products transported by CP is under our Dedicated Train (DT) program, not the open distribution system where individual railcars are ordered. Introduced in 2014, the DT program for car supply gives shippers the ability to lock in specific capacity for a 12-month period, providing the customer flexibility and control over their supply chain throughout the crop year. The customer chooses where trains are to be loaded and, when presented with multiple options, the customer determines the order in which the trains are placed. Customers that choose not to participate in the DT program can order hopper cars through the open distribution program, which allows customers to request railcars from CP with two weeks' notice. Visit cpr.ca to learn more about the program.
  • Extreme cold temperatures and heavy snowfall are forecast across much of CP's rail network on the Canadian prairies until the end of Week 30. These conditions are expected to reduce the grain supply chain's velocity and throughput capacity, unavoidable but temporary outcomes that result from train length and speed restrictions required to maintain safety on the railway.  Read more about CP's Winter Contingency Plan here.   ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​
​Week 28, February 5 - February 11
429​338,299​36,694​3,167​145,917​524,506​
  • ​CP moved 524,506 metric tonnes of Canadian grain and grain products in Week 28, setting a new weekly tonnage record for Week 28 grain transportation and exceeding the weekly performance target outlined in CP’s 2022-2023 Grain Service Outlook Report.
  • CP is moving record volumes of grain. During the 2022-2023 crop year, CP has broken multiple tonnage records, including in October (compared to all other months), in January (compared to every other January in our 142-year history), and in weeks 19 and 24 (compared to all other Week 19s and 24s in our history).
  • CP was able to recover the network and normalize service levels quickly after a mainline outage on the Mountain Subdivision in British Columbia. This rapid recovery demonstrates the strong resiliency of CP’s operations. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​
​Week 27, January 29 - February 4
​-
​318,502
​7,412
​7,585
​120,513
​454,012
  • ​Following a record-breaking January, CP moved 454,012 metric tonnes of Canadian grain and grain products in Week 27.
  • Extreme cold temperatures across the CP network in Week 27 forced train length, weight and speed reductions, which were required to maintain safe train operations. This temporarily, but unavoidably, reduced velocity and capacity in the grain supply chain, which lowered throughput volumes. Read more about extreme cold train operations in CP’s Winter Contingency Plan here.  
  • This week, CP is experiencing a track outage on the Mountain Subdivision affecting westbound mainline train operations between Revelstoke and Golden, B.C. CP does have a route around the track outage but the situation will impact Week 28 volumes. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​
​Week 26, January 22 - January 28
​6,909
381,983​30,038​
2,177​86,435​507,542​
  • ​In January 2023, CP moved 2.29 million metric tonnes (MMT) of Canadian grain and grain products, setting a new record for the month of January. Read our news release here.
  • CP has moved more than 15 MMT of Canadian grain and grain products thus far in the 2022-2023 crop year, exceeding the amount shipped by this time in the 2021-2022 crop year by more than 45 percent.
  • In Week 26, CP transported 507,542 metric tonnes on a target of 523,800 metrics tonnes as outlined in CP’s 2022-23 Grain Service Outlook Report
  • CP’s grain performance through January demonstrates the resiliency of our railway operations and effective winter planning, allowing CP to continue delivering for our customers even through challenging winter operating conditions.
  • CP achieved this performance in Week 26 despite extreme cold temperatures that set in across much of CP’s network from B.C. to Thunder Bay and down into the U.S. mid-west toward the end of the week. Extreme cold temperatures require adjustments to railway operations, including restrictions to train length and weight, to maintain safety. These safety measures unavoidably slow supply chain velocity, which in turn reduces capacity.
  • Extreme cold temperatures are forecast to continue across much of CP’s network until the end of Week 27. Read more about CP’s Winter Contingency Plan here. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​
Week 25, January 15 - January 21
​7,878
346,183​32,781​12,907​98,473​522,577​
  • ​CP moved 522,577 metric tonnes of Canadian grain and grain products in Week 25, once again hitting its weekly winter operation performance target in the 2022-2023 Grain Service Outlook Report.
  • Rain in Vancouver last week continued to slow the loading of grain into vessels, resulting in full silos at terminals, which prevented grain hopper cars from being unloaded from waiting trains. 
  • These persistent rain delays in Vancouver disrupt the efficient, balanced cycling of rail cars from the Port of Vancouver back to the in-country grain elevators on the Prairies, where they get re-loaded with grain and then transported back to the West Coast. This unavoidably reduces the grain supply chain’s velocity and export capacity. 
  • CP continues to call on the government and industry to find pragmatic and safe solutions for improving the ability of grain terminals to load vessels in the rain at west coast terminals. This is a significant capacity constraint for Canada’s export of grain and agricultural products.​ ​ ​ ​
​Week 24, January 8 - January 14
​12,656
441,204​19,655​3,665​88,839​566,019​
  • ​CP moved 566,019 metric tonnes of Canadian grain and grain products in Week 24, setting a new record for the week. This volume exceeds the weekly winter operation performance target of 523,800 metric tonnes in CP’s 2022-2023 Grain Service Outlook Report.
  • CP staged four trains destined for Vancouver’s north shore due to congestion in shipper pipelines.
  • Rain in Vancouver slowed grain vessel loading. As a result, grain silos at some terminals are reaching capacity. When this occurs, grain hopper cars cannot be unloaded, interrupting efficient cycling back to the in-country grain elevators for re-loading. This results in lost capacity for the entire grain supply chain. 
  • CP has been calling on the government and industry to address the issue of loading grain vessels in the rain at west coast terminals since this is a significant capacity constraint for Canada’s export of grain and agricultural products. CP appreciates the attention of both government and industry on this critical issue in recent weeks and looks forward to stakeholders finding pragmatic and safe solutions to maximize throughput for Canada's export grain supply chain. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​
​Week 23, January 1 - January 7
​20,868
321,073​7,836​7,241​93,706​450,724​
  • ​CP moved 450,724 metric tonnes of Canadian grain and grain products in Week 23.
  • Holiday closures in the week continued to impact volumes, as many terminals and elevators were closed on January 1 and 2. 
  • Despite these closures, Vancouver terminals had a strong week of rail car unloads. Efficiently unloading railcars shortens the cycle time of the grain supply chain. The cycle time includes the time it takes the customer to load the train at the inland terminal, the railway transit time from the origin to the port export terminal, the time it takes to unload the grain at the export terminal and the railway transit time for the empty car to return to an inland terminal to be re-filled with grain. 
  • Grain companies continue to wind down their Port of Thunder Bay programs for the upcoming seasonal closure of the Port​.
​Week 22, December 25 - December 31
​12,355
166,348​26,945​7,412​114,798​327,858​
  • ​CP moved 327,858 metric tonnes of Canadian grain and grain products in Week 22.
  • While CP operated across the Christmas and New Year holidays, closures at the port export terminals significantly reduced demand for grain transportation. 
  • As noted in week 21, winter storms closed highways across the prairies, the BC interior and Vancouver, impacting CP’s ability to move crews to and from trains.  Frigid winter weather also affected grain car loading at origin and unloading at destination for multiple days. The capacity lost during these closures and weather events will carry over to Week 23 as the supply chain recovers.
  • CP, grain shippers, and other supply chain participants all have an important role to play in preparing for and recovering from challenging winter conditions. To protect operations and recover from these winter storms, CP requires customers to clear switches and prepare their tracks for safe service. Read more about CP’s Winter Contingency Plan here
  • Grain companies are winding down their Port of Thunder Bay programs for the anticipated seasonal closure of the Port. As described in CP’s 2022-2023 Winter Contingency Plan, the annual Port of Thunder Bay closure constrains the overall capacity of Canada’s export grain supply chain in winter months.​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​
​Week 21, December 18 - December 24
​64,802
318,380​8,622​19,687​133,306​544,797​
  • ​CP moved 544,797 metric tonnes of Canadian grain and grain products in Week 21, despite several converging factors that slowed Canada’s grain supply chain, including severe winter weather conditions across most of CP’s rail network and reduced operations at grain company loading facilities and port terminals due to the traditional Christmas holiday period.
  • Severe winter storms across Canada caused extensive road closures on major provincial highways, which affected CP’s rail operations and grain customer operations. Widespread blizzard conditions in Vancouver, the Fraser Canyon, the B.C. interior, across the Prairies, and in Ontario and Quebec resulted in multiple extended highway closures in each province.
  • ​Extreme cold temperatures across much of CP’s network on the Prairies to Northern Ontario forced reductions to train length and speed, which are required for safe railway operations, but unavoidably reduce supply chain velocity and capacity.
  • The severe winter weather across Canada also caused power outages and disrupted other modes of transportation, including air travel and passenger rail. 
  • Despite the significant winter weather challenges, CP continued operating on Christmas Day to clear the backlog of railcars and trains in Western Canada affected by the extreme weather and a mainline outage. 
  • The severe winter weather, combined with reduced operations at port terminals and grain elevators for the traditional holiday period, resulted in a capacity loss that will carry over to Week 22 as the supply chain recovers. 
  • CP, grain shippers, and other supply chain participants all have an important role to play in preparing for and recovering from challenging winter conditions. To protect operations and recover from these winter storms, CP requires customers to clear switches and prepare their tracks for safe service. Read more about CP’s winter contingency plan here. ​
​Week 20, December 11 - December 17
​92,338
468,706​7,905​6,095​110,890​685,934​

  • CP moved 685,934 metric tonnes of Canadian grain and grain products in Week 20, once again exceeding its tonnage performance target outlined in the 2022-23 Grain Service Outlook Report.
  • Extreme cold temperatures have set in across much of CP’s network on the prairies to Northern Ontario. Consequently, CP's winter operating plan is in effect, which is forcing reductions to train length and speed. These restrictions are implemented for safety during winter operations, which unavoidably reduces the grain supply chain’s velocity and throughput capacity. The extreme cold also slows performance and capacity for other supply chain players, including grain customer loading facilities on the prairies. Read more about CP’s winter contingency plan here.
  • Significant snowfall in Vancouver is also impacting the performance of Canada’s grain supply chain.
  • On CP’s U.S. network, temperatures from Chicago to St. Paul, Minn., are expected to be unseasonably cold in the coming days. Congestion at interchanges with U.S. Class 1s is creating delays in the grain shipment pipeline. These factors are impacting the performance and throughput capacity of Canada’s grain supply chain.
  • Demand for grain transportation is softening as port terminals and elevators reduce their operations for the traditional holiday period. Additionally, demand for grain transportation to Thunder Bay continues to fall as grain companies wind down their Port of Thunder Bay programs in advance of the seasonal closure of the Port, which is expected by the end of the calendar year. ​ ​ ​ ​

Week 19, December 4 - December 10
​179,934
359,615​9,730​33,722​89,953​672,953​
  • ​CP moved 672,953 metric tonnes of Canadian grain and grain products in Week 19, setting a new record for the week. 
  • CP has received more than 1,000 order cancellations from customers for Week 20 and anticipates declining demand over the next two weeks as port terminals and elevators close for the traditional holiday period. CP emphasizes the need for 24/7/365 operations to maintain fluidity in the supply chain and to maximize loading and unloading at the origin and destination.
  • Grain companies are winding down their Port of Thunder Bay programs for the anticipated seasonal closure of the Port by the end of the year. As described in CP’s 2022-2023 Winter Contingency Plan, the Port of Thunder Bay’s closure is a critical factor that constrains the overall capacity of Canada’s export grain supply chain during the winter months.​ ​ 
  • CP has been calling on the government and industry to address the issue of loading grain vessels in the rain at west coast terminals. CP appreciates the attention of both government and industry on this critical issue and looks forward to stakeholders finding pragmatic and safe solutions to maximize throughput for Canada's export grain supply chain.
​Week 18, November 27 - December 3
​127,142
313,825​9,933​2,648​138,724​592,272​
  • ​CP moved 592,272 metric tonnes of Canadian grain and grain products in Week 18.
  • CP continued to perform well, exceeding the hopper car supply target in its 2022-23 annual Grain Plan, despite a derailment on the Weyburn subdivision in Saskatchewan on Dec. 1. 
  • Following an all time record for grain shipments in October, CP continued strong momentum into November with the third largest November in CP’s history, shipping 2.68 million metric tonnes.
  • CP expects colder weather on our network from Edmonton to east of Winnipeg. CP's Winter Operating Plan is in effect.
  • CP continues to call on the Government of Canada to bring together all stakeholders, including port terminals and unions, to find pragmatic and safe solutions for loading grain vessels at Vancouver terminals during periods of inclement weather. It is critical to resolve this constraint, as other port terminals have elsewhere in the world, for Canada’s grain supply chain to maximize throughput and capacity.​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​
​Week 17, November 20 - November 26
​162,950
427,491​11,266​5,956​103,819​711,472​
  • ​CP moved 711,472 metric tonnes of Canadian grain and grain products in Week 17, exceeding the weekly tonnage target outlined in the 2022-2023 grain report.
  • Significant snow in Vancouver may impact grain unloading at the terminals in Vancouver this week. CP continues to call on the Government of Canada to bring together all stakeholders, including port terminals and unions, to find pragmatic and safe solutions for loading grain vessels at Vancouver terminals during periods of inclement weather. It is critical to resolve this constraint, as other port terminals have elsewhere in the world, for Canada’s grain supply chain to maximize throughput and capacity.
  • The supply chain must continue focusing on adequate unloads at Thunder Bay, including seven-day-a-week rail unloading.
  • CP has seen an increase in soybean volume from Manitoba to Vancouver in the past 10 days, which has elongated car cycles.​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​
Week 16, ​November 13 - November 19
​115,523
394,936​6,508​4,574​104,026​625,567​
  • ​CP moved 625,567 metric tonnes of Canadian grain and grain products in Week 16.
  • CP continues to exceed the supply commitments made in its 2022-2023 Grain Service Outlook Report and is working with other grain supply chain players, including customers and port terminals, to optimize fluidity. 
  • Rain is forecasted for the west coast during the week of Nov. 20. CP continues to call on the Government of Canada to bring together all stakeholders, including port terminals and unions, to find pragmatic and safe solutions for loading grain vessels at Vancouver terminals during periods of inclement weather. It is critical to resolve this constraint, as other port terminals have elsewhere in the world, for Canada’s grain supply chain to maximize throughput and capacity. 
  • CP is preparing for winter operating conditions. Read more about how CP plans for safe operations during different winter weather conditions in our 2022-2023 Winter Contingency Plan.​ 
​Week 15, November 6 -  November 12
​126,352
392,266​8,053​​3,908
​95,808
​626,387
  • ​CP moved 626,387 metric tonnes of Canadian grain and grain products in Week 15. 
  • Multiple factors contributed to inadequate supply chain performance, including rain on the west coast, winter weather across the prairies and substandard loading and unloading of railcars at elevators and terminals. 
  • To support safe rail operations, when temperatures drop below negative 25 degrees Celsius, a train’s speed, length and weight must be reduced. These necessary operational changes lower overall system velocity, which reduces the supply chain’s shipping capacity. 
  • Weather conditions across the west and prairies appear to be fair during Week 16, which should allow the supply chain to recover some of the lost fluidity.
  • The supply chain must continue focusing on adequate unloads at Thunder Bay, including seven-day-a-week rail unloading. ​ ​ ​ ​ 
​Week 14, October 30 - November 5
​119,942
412,658​11,594​14,913​132,484​691,592​
  • CP moved 691,592 metric tonnes of Canadian grain and grain products in Week 14. This builds on CP’s October record for transporting more grain and grain products than ever before in the company’s history. The significant volumes of grain and grain products moving on our railway continue to exceed the supply commitments outlined in our annual Grain Plan.
  • There was a strong week of unloads on the south shore, despite rain hindering vessel loading at port terminals in Vancouver. CP continues to call on the Government of Canada to bring all stakeholders together to find pragmatic and safe solutions for loading grain at Vancouver terminals during periods of inclement weather. 
  • Although CP cleared the nine staged trains from Week 13, the rain delays in Vancouver lowered overall supply chain capacity throughput. Ten trains destined to the north shore were staged in Vancouver during week 14, impacting the performance of the grain supply chain.
  • Winter weather is creating challenging conditions for the grain supply chains across the prairies, including provincial road closures, poor driving conditions, and impacts at grain customer facilities that are lowering loading efficiency and performance. Effective winter planning is essential for providing a safe and resilient rail system that continues to serve the needs of our customers and the North American supply chain. Read more about CP’s Winter Contingency Plan here.
  • As we head into winter and critical shipping months for Canada’s agricultural industry, it is important for all supply chain participants to work collectively to sustain strong momentum in support of Canada’s reputation as a safe and reliable supplier of grain and grain products. ​
​Week 13, October 23 - October 29
​135,967
388,011​9,440​13,937​114,984​662,339​
  • ​CP broke the all-time monthly tonnage record for shipping grain and grain products in October, shipping more than 3.14 million metric tonnes (MMT). This makes October 2022 CP’s biggest month ever for moving these products, breaking the previous monthly record set in October 2020 by more than 100,000 metric tonnes.
  • CP congratulates Cascadia Terminal for achieving record unloads in October. 
  • CP moved 662,339 metric tonnes of Canadian grain and grain products in Week 13. Through the first 13 weeks of the 2022-2023 crop year, CP shipped more than 6.9 MMT of grain and grain products.
  • Vancouver terminals could not unload railcars during portions of Week 13 because the terminals were at or near silo capacity due to their inability to load grain to vessels in the rain. Last week, CP staged nine trains, all destined for the north shore, as a result of the effects of rain. CP continues to call on the Government of Canada to bring together all stakeholders to find reasonable, pragmatic, and safe solutions to once again allow grain to be loaded in the rain.   
  • While unloading has been good on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1, with more rain in the forecast, CP is working with customers to explore diverting loads to the east to mitigate congestion.  ​ ​ ​ ​ ​
​Week 12, October 16 - October 22
​106,323
526,492​11,695​2,167​110,729​757,406​
  • ​CP moved 757,406 metric tonnes of Canadian grain and grain products in Week 12, the highest weekly total in two full years and the second-highest weekly tonnage CP has ever shipped. 
  • CP spotted more rail cars in Week 12 than ever, beating the record set in Week 10.
  • Rain in Vancouver is beginning to disrupt unloads at grain terminals. CP has identified this challenge for many years. The inability to load vessels uninterrupted by weather has cascading ripple effects throughout the supply chain, including the vessels and grain terminal operators, railways, grain companies and farmers.
  • Snow across Saskatchewan on Oct. 23 and 24 caused extended road closures, including the Trans-Canada Highway, which will reverberate across the supply chain. 
  • CP is continuing to work with customers in Thunder Bay to balance their pipeline. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​
​Week 11, October 9 - October 15
​169,557
392,127​12,253​6,212​121,170​701,320​
  • ​CP moved 701,320 metric tonnes of Canadian grain and grain products in Week 11.
  • Congestion issues on the North Shore are creating supply chain disruptions and are impacting empty flow to country elevators. 
  • CP is working closely with customers and stakeholders to increase fluidity and terminal unloads in Thunder Bay to improve empty hopper car availability in the country.  ​ ​ ​ 
​Week 10, October 2 - Octomber 8
​162,396
428,695​14,527​1,677​83,916​691,212​
  • CP moved 691,212 metric tonnes of Canadian grain and grain products in Week 10.
  • In Week 10, CP spotted the most hopper cars to western Canada elevators in its history.
  • The supply chain is seeing unloading delays at ports, and customer loading time at elevators is above standard. CP is working with stakeholders to regain and improve supply chain fluidity. ​ ​ ​ ​​
​Week 9, September 25 - October 1
​158,680
414,612​13,559​959​121,533​709,342​
  • ​CP moved 709,342 metric tonnes of Canadian grain and grain products in Week 9. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​
​Week 8, September 18 - September 24
​132,819
​393,081
​18,488
9,410​​86,220
​640,018
  • CP moved 640,018 metric tonnes of Canadian grain and grain products in Week 8. 
  • CP saw an approximately 24-hour delay on the Vancouver corridor due to an outage on CN’s line in the directional running zone in British Columbia.​​ ​ ​ ​
​Week 7, September 11 - September 17
​120,284
392,077​11,302​1,430​99,256​624,350​
  • ​CP moved 624,350 metric tonnes of Canadian grain and grain products in Week 7. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​
Week 6, September 4 - September 10
​133,406
333,733​11,806​778​82,047​561,770​
  • CP moved 561,770 metric tonnes of Canadian grain and grain products in Week 6, nearly 53% more than in Week 5.  ​ ​ ​ ​ ​
Week 5, August 28 - September 3
​57,297
213,010​13,514​859​82,664​367,344​
  • ​CP moved 367,344 metric tonnes of Canadian grain and grain products in Week 5. ​ ​ 
​Week 4, August 21 - August 27
​41,061
217,368​18,031​9,484​40,270​326,214​
  • ​CP moved 326,214 metric tonnes of Canadian grain and grain products in Week 4.  ​ ​ ​ ​ ​
​Week 3 - August 14 - August 20
​23,405
197,147​10,450​5,916​50,884​​287,803
  • CP moved 287,803 metric tonnes of Canadian grain and grain products in Week 3. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​
Week 2, August 7 - August 13
​69,568
​119,045
​13,956
​5,688
​83,118
​291,375
  • ​CP moved 291,375 metric tonnes of Canadian grain and grain products in Week 2. ​​ ​ ​ ​ 
​Week 1, July 31 - August 6

​48,478

112,942
11,370
10,931
97,479
281,201
  • CP moved 281,201 metric tonnes of Canadian grain and grain products in Week 1. ​ ​
​​​​ Previous weeks 2021 - 2022 
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