CN, grain shippers in argument over rail service

CN, grain shippers in argument over rail service    Canadian National Railway Co. and the Western Grain Elevator Association (WGEA), an association of nine farmer-owned, public and private grain businesses operating in Canada, are blaming each other for delays to grain handling train services.
   Wade Sobkowich, executive director of the WGEA said Tuesday: “Both CN and CP continue to struggle this year in spotting cars in the country for loading and, once loaded, in providing timely delivery to the customer.”
   “These railway service concerns are occurring in a year when exports of grains and oilseeds are less than average. This begs the question – how will CN and CP respond when production and export levels return to more normal levels, let alone a bumper crop?” Sobkowich added.
   “CN is at a loss to understand WGEA’s statement this week,” said Ed Harris, CN’s executive vice-president, operations. “CN has overcome winter-related service issues, and is making grain available at terminal elevators consistently and reliably.”
   Harris said many of CN’s partners in the grain handling and transportation system do not work weekends and holidays, as CN does. CN said the Easter long weekend was a four-day shutdown for some facilities, effectively bringing grain assets to a halt. Of 11 grain terminals operated by WGEA members at three ports in Western Canada, only two in Vancouver consistently work seven days a week, CN said.
   “The only issue on the horizon is a developing gap in predicted ship arrivals at ports, which is beginning to cause some concern about the potential for port terminal congestion. CN will work with its customers to manage the situation as efficiently as possible, but there’s nothing CN can do on its own to control ship ordering and arrivals,” Harris said.