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Canadian National sets grain tonnage record for February

By Bill Stephens | March 2, 2023

| Last updated on August 6, 2025


Canadian Pacific has its second-best February ever

The eastbound VIA Rail Canadian meets a long westbound Canadian National grain train in British Columbia on Feb. 7, 2023. Bill Stephens

Canadian National set a grain volume record for February by moving 2.4 million metric tons out of Western Canada for the month, topping the record set last year by 200,000 metric tons.

CN attributes February’s performance to increased collaboration between supply chain partners, which helped the railway bounce back from a period of extreme cold.

“Improved communications between CN, our customers, and supply chain partners have made our grain supply chain a success in February,” Sandra Ellis, vice president, bulk, said in a statement. “When each of us has a better understanding of what our partners are dealing with, we can adjust our individual operations to work through disruptions when they occur. That type of collaboration leads to higher levels of performance across the entire supply chain. It also sets a new benchmark for all of us to strive for as we work through the rest of this winter.”

CN Chief Operating Officer Ed Harris credited employees for following the railway’s winter plan. “Their focus on keeping mainline traffic moving, making sure trains run on time and ensuring we have the infrastructure and fleet in place to support that plan continues to pay off,” Harris said. “Reduced delays and disruptions put capacity back into our network and support our customers’ shipping needs.”

Canadian Pacific moved more than 2.045 million metric tons of Canadian grain and grain products in February, which was slightly behind last year’s record haul of 2.058 million metric tons.

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