MONTREAL — The continued addition of more new grain hoppers, along with the addition of new locomotives and ongoing hiring efforts, are key elements in Canadian National Railway’s 2022-23 Grain Plan, released last week.
The plan outlines CN’s preparations for moving up to 27 million metric tons of grain from western Canada in the crop year, a rebound from the 18.2 million metric tons moved during the drought-plagued 2021-22 season.
Preparations include introduction of 57 new locomotives, 500 new grain hoppers in 2022, and 500 more in early 2023. While CN, like most railroads, has faced hiring issues, the railroad projects that it will have sufficient operating crews for grain movements during the crop year. It also calls for moving more grain to Eastern Canada ports to provide “corridor balance.”
CN CEO Tracy Robinson said in the press release announcing the grain plan that the railroad “is confident that the adjustments we have made to our operations and planning heading into this fall, combined with the investments made with an eye to future economic growth, will enable us to deliver strong results in 2022–23 for Western Canadian agriculture.”
A link to the complete Grain Plan is available at this page on the CN website.
