Agri Supply Chain

MONTREAL, CANADA — CN (Canadian National Railway Company) has released its 2025–26 Grain Plan, outlining how the railway will move Canada’s grain harvest efficiently to domestic and global markets. The plan details network readiness, equipment investments, and service improvements intended to strengthen supply chain reliability from prairie elevators to export terminals. (Source: CN Media Centre)

Key Priorities for 2025–26:
The plan focuses on three main areas:

• Fleet readiness: Maintaining more than 8,000 high-capacity covered hopper cars, including continued deployment of 5,000+ new-generation railcars built in Canada.
• Network investment: Ongoing capital projects to expand sidings, modernize terminals, and improve throughput on high-volume grain corridors to Vancouver, Prince Rupert, and Thunder Bay.
• Operational coordination: Enhanced scheduling between grain elevators, ports, and processors to ensure balanced flow during peak harvest and export periods.

Performance Commitments:
CN’s 2025–26 Grain Plan commits to transparency through weekly shipment reporting and seasonal progress summaries. The company will continue to work with Transport Canada, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, and provincial partners to monitor performance and address supply bottlenecks.

Industry Context:
Grain movement is a core component of Canada’s agri-food economy, representing over 50 million tonnes annually in shipments of wheat, canola, pulses, and other crops. The 2025–26 Plan aligns with CN’s broader capital program exceeding $3.5 billion, which includes infrastructure resilience against extreme weather and improved service recovery times.

Stakeholder Collaboration:
CN stated it continues to engage with farmer groups, grain shippers, and terminal operators to refine equipment allocation and scheduling models. The company emphasized that performance accountability is shared across the entire logistics chain—from origin elevator to port terminal.

Why It Matters:
Consistent grain transportation performance supports Canada’s reputation as a reliable supplier to international markets in Asia, Europe, and the Americas. By upgrading assets and optimizing planning, CN aims to mitigate delays during harvest surges and port congestion—issues that can affect pricing and global competitiveness.

Disclaimer:
This article summarizes publicly available information from CN’s official 2025–26 Grain Plan release. It is intended for informational and journalistic purposes only and does not constitute financial or operational advice. Readers should refer to CN’s official reports for full technical details.