Photo: CN

Railways blast past revenue cap

Grain moved was up 60 per cent from last season on drought recovery

Canada's two big railways will have a $7.1 million Christmas present for the Western Grains Research Foundations following a ruling they exceeded their revenue caps in 2022-23.

The Cascadia grain terminal at the Port of Vancouver is co-owned by Viterra and Richardson International. (Viterra.ca)

Transport Canada to review Bunge-Viterra marriage plans

Competition Bureau also to probe proposed deal

Canada’s federal transport department will conduct its own review of U.S. grain giant Bunge’s plans to buy and merge with Viterra — with an eye particularly on both companies’ stakes in Canadian port terminals. Transport Minister Pablo Rodriguez announced Tuesday that his department will review the deal under the mergers and acquisitions provisions of the […] Read more

Photo: CN

Record amount of grain moved, CN goes over revenue limit

The Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) recently ruled that Canadian National Railway exceeded its maximum grain revenue entitlements for the 2020/21 crop year. Meanwhile, the CTA stated that Canadian Pacific was under its entitlement. The CTA’s report stated that CN’s revenue from transporting Western Canadian grain was nearly C$1.045 billion and was C$2.4 million over its […] Read more


(File photo by Dave Bedard)

CN over, CP well under 2020-21 grain revenue caps

Railways moved record-level volume during year, CTA says

Coming off a record-level Prairie grain handle, Canadian National Railway’s $1.042 billion in 2020-21 Prairie grain revenue is set to be trimmed by about $2.52 million. The Canadian Transportation Agency on Wednesday released its determination that CN’s 2021-21 Prairie grain revenue of $1,044,909,345 came in $2,399,676 above its maximum revenue entitlement (MRE) for the year. […] Read more

(File photo by Dave Bedard)

Railways overshoot grain revenue limits for 2019-20

Grain revenues run $5.3 million over caps, CTA rules

Canada’s big two railways have about two more weeks to hand over about $5.6 million in Prairie grain revenue overages and related penalties for the 2019-20 crop year. The Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) on Dec. 22 ruled Canadian National Railway (CN) and Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) each overshot their maximum revenue entitlements (MREs) for the […] Read more

(File photo by Dave Bedard)

Prairie grain freight cost index adjusted upward

Corrected, May 6, 2019 and Jan. 7, 2021 — Canada’s big two railways can expect a small raise in the amount of revenue they get to keep from hauling Prairie grain in the coming crop year. The Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) on Tuesday announced it will set the volume-related composite price index (VRCPI) at 1.4371 […] Read more


(PortMetroVancouver.com)

Rail now moving fluidly through Vancouver, CN says

Winnipeg | Reuters — Congestion at Port Metro Vancouver, Canada’s busiest port, has been resolved and rail operations are now “fluid,” Canadian National Railway said Friday. Canadian National and rival Canadian Pacific Railway were rationing space on trains travelling in the Vancouver area and prioritized some commodities over others to deal with congestion, causing complaints […] Read more

Grain being loaded on a ship at the Hudson Bay port of Churchill in 2015. The port facility was later shut down before the 2016 shipping season began. (CNS Canada photo by Jade Markus)

Transport agency orders Hudson Bay Railway to start repairs

The Canadian Transportation Agency has ordered the current owners of the Hudson Bay Railway to get repair work underway by July 3 at the latest. The CTA — the quasi-judicial tribunal and regulator for the Canadian transport sector — on Wednesday granted a request filed by an unnamed representative of Manitoba’s provincial opposition New Democrats […] Read more