CN posts record grain haul for January

CN has set a new grain-hauling record for the 11th consecutive month by shipping more than 2.95 million metric tons (MMT) of Canadian grain and processed grain products via carload in January.

The grain haul exceeds the previous January record of 2.33 MMT set in 2019 by 27%, as well as the three-year average of 2.24 MMT by 32%, CN officials said in a press release.

This brings the volume of grain moved via carload in the first half of the 2020-2021 crop year — which spans from early August 2020 to the end of July — to over 17.5 MMT. That's 24% higher than the three-year average of 14.1 MMT, and 17% higher than the record of 14.9 MMT set in the 2018-2019 crop year, CN officials said.

CN also is breaking records of more than 600,000 metric tons of grain moving direct from western Canada via container, in addition to volumes shipped from eastern Canada, they said.

"We know that harsher weather is always just around the corner, so it is critical that we keep up the pace and collaboration that we have seen in the first half of the crop year to keep goods moving," said Rob Reilly, CN executive vice president and chief operating officer.

CN's ability to deliver record amounts of goods is largely due to its investments in capacity, company officials said. Since 2018, the Class I has invested more than CA$10 billion in track, locomotives and rail cars, including the purchase of more than 2,500 new high-capacity grain hopper cars.