CP: Pushing the grain envelope

Written by William C. Vantuono, Editor-in-Chief
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Canadian Pacific moved 25.8 million metric tons (MMT) of western Canadian grain and grain products, soybeans and other non-regulated principal field crops during the 2017-2018 crop year and “stands ready to again safely and efficiently deliver during the 2018-2019 crop year.”

CP’s 2017-2018 figures were up 1% over the 2016-2017 crop-year and 1% above its three-year average. September 2017 was CP’s biggest-ever month for moving Canadian grain. “On balance, the past year was a success, achieved by working closely with and listening to customers and supply-chain partners” CP said.

In a July 31, 2018 letter to Minister of Transport, Marc Garneau, CP published a detailed plan to move this year’s crop. CP said it is “closely watching crop forecasts for the railway’s service area, and is in regular communication with customers and supply chain partners to validate forecasts for the upcoming crop size.”

“Our agricultural shippers have needs that are unique within our book of business, and we believe an ongoing dialogue with those companies is essential to understanding and meeting their needs,” said CP Vice President Sales and Marketing – Grain and Fertilizers Joan Hardy, “Our plans for moving this year’s crop reflect that.”

CP’s current estimate of the western Canadian crop size, based on Statistics Canada data, is 70.8 MMT. When adding potential carry-in into the 2018-2019 crop year production, the total crop to move is estimated to be 83.4 MMT, 5% larger than the previous five-year average. At the beginning of each crop year, there is limited visibility on the true size of the upcoming crop, “which is truly a moving target,” CP said. “For example, the 2017-2018 crop was originally forecast at approximately 65 MMT, but was actually closer to 71 MMT—a variation of nearly 10%.”

Based on current forecasts, CP’s operating team “plans to consistently spot 5,500 hopper cars for Canadian grain weekly through the fall, until the closure of the Port of Thunder Bay on the St. Lawrence Seaway. When the seaway closes, CP plans to supply approximately 4,000 cars per week. CP sizes its operating plan carefully to match supply-chain capacity, and our plan assumes the supply chain will run at or near capacity throughout the season.”

CP continues to invest in resources to accommodate growing demand across its network. The railroad currently has more than 700 employees in training and by the end of summer will have added more than 100 remanufactured locomotives to its fleet. CP plans to spend more than $1.55 billion in capital investments in 2018, replacing depleted track assets and upgrading its network.

CP is working with customers and other interested parties “to further improve the efficiency and capacity of the grain supply chain.”

CP is investing half a billion dollars in new high-capacity grain hoppers from National Steel Car to replace the aging low-capacity Government of Canada fleet. The new hoppers will carry up to 10% more grain per car, and the shorter design will allow 5% more cars per train, resulting in 15% more grain per train. CP will add more than 500 of these cars by the end of 2018, and 1,000 by the end of the first quarter of 2019 as part of its plan to purchase 5,900 new hoppers over the next four years.

The railroad continues development of its 8,500-foot train consist in collaboration with customers that operate elevators and destination terminals handling the trains. These trains will be able to haul up to 20% more grain per train than the current 7,000-foot consist, and up to 44% more grain per train when combined with new high-capacity hoppers.

A power-on model, where locomotives stay at a grain elevator while a train is loaded, will be used at selected locations.

“These innovations build on CP’s popular Dedicated Train Program (DTP), which allows customers to lock-in dedicated unit trains to serve their facilities for the entire crop year,” CP noted. “The DTP provides incentives for both CP and grain shippers to keep trains cycling with minimal delay. It’s an especially powerful model for supply chain efficiency when combined with new high-capacity cars, 8,500-foot trains, and the power-on model.”

CP’s Open Distribution Program (ODP) “is segmented to better fulfill the shipping needs of less-than-unit-train customers to specific end-markets,” CP said. “Customers who are not part of the DTP can order cars in the ODP, which allows shippers to input orders for upcoming weeks, and as orders are filled, new orders can be placed.”

“CP has been moving grain for more than a century, and today more than ever, we’re focused on driving the future of grain transportation for the benefit of the entire supply chain,” said Hardy. “Even as we pursue supply chain innovation, we are focused on the fundamentals of meeting farmers’ needs this crop year. In collaboration with our partners across the supply chain, CP looks forward to a successful year of transporting grain and connecting North America’s commodities with the world.”

Canadian Pacific plans to invest more than a half-billion dollars in nearly 6,000 new high-capacity grain hopper cars, and expects to place more than 500 in service before the end of 2018, increasing capacity of its unit grain trains. National Steel Car has received CP’s initial order for 1,000 units. National Steel Car photo.

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