CALGARY — Canadian agricultural firm Richardson International will expand eight grain elevators served by CPKC in Western Canada, allowing them to be served in the future by the railroad’s 8,500-foot High Efficiency Product trains.
Work on the elevators in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta will start this summer and be complete by the end of 2024, CPKC and Richardson said in a Monday announcement.
Darwin Sobkow, Richardson president and chief operations officer, said in a press release that the expansion “will increase capacity and efficiency, enabling Richardson to further benefit from CPKC’s single-line network reaching Canada, the U.S., and Mexico. We have strongly supported the CP-KCS combination through the process and look forward to working with CPKC on additional future opportunities for shared growth.”
Richardson currently ships unit trains from 27 CPKC-served elevators in Canada and one in the U.S. The company’s newest elevator, at Carmichael, Sask., is its first 8,500-foot HEP site.
“CPKC is thrilled to have these Richardson elevators added to the growing list of already qualified 8,500-foot HEP sites across western Canada,” said John Brooks, CPKC’s chief marketing officer. “Richardson’s supply chain and CPKC’s operation will benefit from added efficiency, capacity and fluidity with this investment. Richardson’s ability to run longer trains will mean more grain shipped per train, tighter cycles, and more Richardson trains moving across our expanded, single-line network throughout the season.”
CP’s 8,500-foot High Efficiency Product grain trains using the railroad’s newer hoppers can carry more than 40% more grain than its 7,000-foot grain unit trains, as explained in this 2020 press release.
More timely marketing falderall from CPkc’s marketing department trying to spin consolidation of elevators as new business when the old CP would have most likely gotten this business anyway, considering CN’s distaste for ag shipments. It seems they continue to adhere to the “just keep putting lipstick on the same old sow and people will be bound to think your results are new and exciting.” I would suggest to CPkc to quit trying to dress up “low hanging” pigs and instead focus on the really new examples of what this buy-out of KCS has accomplished besides lead to the likely layoff of American rail employees as CP consolidates KCS out of existence for all intents and purposes.
That is a lot of enthusiasm in just one post!
This looks like solid evidence that CPKC is benefiting from this merger. When third party companies want to invest in new facilities to build rail traffic it is a win for the railroad.
I’m assuming Richardson International sees this as an opportunity to consolidate some of its 27 facilities into less but more modern, efficient, automated and safer elevators as well. Will be a win for the communities that see upgraded elevators but a fair share of losers as well.
That is exactly what this is, a consolidation of 27 elevators into less. more modern and technologically advanced ones and as you described, there will be some winners, as well a losers… CPkc doesn’t say anything about that aspect…
Congratulations CPKC on your Accomplishments To Express your Concern for Getting the Grains to the Costumers Safely and Efficiently