Important measures in place for grain handling

The Fair Rail for Grain Farmers Act amended the Canada Transportation Act and the Canada Grain Act to ensure that Canada’s rail transportation network moves grain to markets as quickly and efficiently as possible, following a record crop year for Canadian farmers.

The measures, which take effect immediately, include:

• The passing of an OIC, which sets out the minimum grain volumes that Canadian National Railway Company (CN) and Canadian Pacific Railway Company (CP) are each required to move from August 3, 2014 to November 29, 2014.
• Regulations requiring CN and CP to provide additional data on grain movement to better monitor the overall performance of the rail-based supply chain.
• Regulations to clarify the operational terms in a service level agreement that can be arbitrated by the Canadian Transportation Agency, to support commercial negotiations between shippers and railways. These newly defined rail service obligations will increase predictability for all shippers.
• An amendment to the Railway Interswitching Regulations extending the limit for rail interswitching from 30 kilometres to 160 kilometres in the provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba for all commodities to increase competition among railway companies and give shippers access to alternative rail services.
• Regulations to provide farmers with better protection through more accountability for grain companies in contracts.