(Photo courtesy Canola Council of Canada)

Preview: Railways, grain shippers at loggerheads over interswitching

Pilot to test expanded radius deemed unnecessary by both sides

Recent legislation has raised the stakes in a decade-long battle between the railways and Canadian grain shippers over the interswitching radius. Interswitching refers to a regulation to ensure shippers located where only a single railway operates can access points that are not served by that railway. The issue is especially concerning for Canadian grain shippers

Aerial view of a loop track featuring a train of CPKC’s newer “high-efficiency” grain hopper cars, at a G3 elevator near Moose Jaw, Sask. in December 2018. (CPR.ca)

Richardson elevators expanding to feed ‘high-efficiency’ trains

Eight sites along CPKC lines to get expanded rail car spots

Grain handler Richardson International plans to expand rail car spots at eight Prairie elevators on Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) lines as the railway gears up for longer trains with new higher-volume hopper cars. Winnipeg-based Richardson on Monday announced expanded rail car spots for its elevators at Lacombe, Carseland, Provost and Olds, Alta.; Estevan, Whitewood


(Orchidpoet/iStock/Getty Images)

Go bigger on interswitching pilot, grain groups urge Ottawa

Railways say the measure creates inefficiencies; farm groups say the opposite is true

Farm groups from across the country are asking producers to lobby federal ministers and MPs and urge them to super-size a government proposal for what’s called ‘extended interswitching.’ The measure, part of this spring’s federal budget, essentially gives grain shippers a choice in which railway they deal with (as long as the competitor’s line is

(File photo by Dave Bedard)

‘Unexpectedly high’ fuel costs lift railways’ revenue index

VRCPIs for CN, CP increased for 2023-24

The index that determines how much Prairie grain handling revenue Canada’s big two railways get to keep will be raised in the coming crop year, mainly on way-higher-than-expected fuel costs. The Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) on Thursday announced the volume-related composite price index (VRCPI) for Canadian National Railway (CN) for 2023-24 will be 1.8295, up