With one month to go in the current crop, year Canadian Pacific Railway was on track to beat a record shipment of grain.
At June 30, the 139-year-old railway had moved 26.7 million metric tonnes and was on pace to exceed the record 26.8 million tonnes set in the 2018-2019 crop year.
The High Efficiency Product (HEP) train model with 8,500 feet length is credited for record grain shipments along with higher capacity hopper cars. The HEP units carry 40 per cent more grain than previous trains.
By the end of this year 3,300 of the 5,900 new hopper cars in a four-year renewal plan will be in service.
CP will accelerate the $1.6 billion investment upgrading the rail network with plans to move 31.4 million metric tonnes of grain in the next crop year.
During the current crop year the railway recorded the best ever month for grain shipments in 10 months. The crop year ends in July.
The company’s grain service outlook noted that employee protection during the COVID-19 pandemic has not interrupted service.
CP expects another strong year in 2020-21 with 73 million metric tonnes of grain to harvest in Western Canada.
Throughout the next crop year the railway plans to provide 5,850 hopper cars a week to country elevators.
The company will make from 1,000 to 1,100 locomotives and 15,000 hopper cars available for use.
Accident frequency per million miles has dropped by one-third since 2015 when 1.41 accidents per million miles were recorded. Last year the accident rate was 1.06 down from 1.1 the previous year.
CN rail moved a record 28.8 million tonnes of grain and 1.1 million tonnes by container this crop year.
Ron Walter can be reached at ronjoy@sasktel.net
