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Earlier this year, CN launched a scheduled grain plan to better meet demand during the Canadian grain harvest, which is just getting under way.

The Class I applied “precision scheduling” to grain car deliveries by setting up operating protocols that ensure cars arrive at specific elevators at scheduled times on scheduled days every week, CN officials said in a prepared statement. Grain handling companies agreed to operate some facilities on a seven-day-per-week basis to eliminate car-flow weekly peaks and valleys resulting from weekend shutdowns.

So far, the plan has “fundamentally improved” system reliability, CN officials said. During the past six months, the railroad has registered more than a 90 percent success rate in delivering specified cars to a specified elevator on a specified day, they said, adding that scheduled reliability means a better export program.

“Grain companies now can better schedule their staff at country elevators and waterfront export terminals,” CN officials said. “Sales can be made with the assurance the grain will be where it is needed.”