Record-breaking year for grain movement
CN Railway closed out the 2025-26 crop year with the highest grain movement volume in company history.
Assistant Vice-President of Grain with CN, David Przednowek, says the railway moved nearly 34 million metric tonnes of grain and processed grain products from Western Canada between August 2025 and July 2026.
The total surpassed the previous record of just under 32 million metric tonnes and included 10 individual monthly records.
“We shipped almost 34 million metric tons of grain and processed grain products out of Western Canada,” Przednowek said
He attributed the volume moved to strong demand throughout the crop year, the large 2025 harvest, and improved market access following the removal of Chinese tariffs on canola meal, peas and canola seed.
Challenges throughout the supply chain
While grain volumes reached record levels, the crop year was not without challenges.
Przednowek said wildfires in Western Canada, wildfire-related disruptions in Eastern Canada, flooding in parts of eastern Saskatchewan and Manitoba, and ongoing geopolitical uncertainty all affected grain transportation.
Global shipping concerns, including tensions in the Strait of Hormuz and continued impacts from the Russia-Ukraine conflict, also created uncertainty in grain markets.
Despite those challenges, he says CN maintained strong service levels and successfully met customer demand throughout the year.
Large carry-in stocks remain
Although grain movement remained strong until the end of the crop year, significant inventories remain in the system.
Przednowek says Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s supply and demand outlook points to historically high carry-in stocks entering the 2026-27 crop year.
He noted those stocks are largely the result of last year’s record crop and could be adjusted further as Statistics Canada updates production and inventory estimates.
Grain plan projects another busy year
With the start of the new crop year, CN has released its 2026-27 Grain Plan.
The plan is designed to compare expected grain supplies against the railway’s available resources and overall supply chain capacity.
Przednowek says current projections suggest above-average grain supplies when carry-in stocks are combined with what is expected to be at least an average Western Canadian crop.
CN forecasts grain and processed grain product shipments between 30 and 33 million metric tonnes during the 2026-27 crop year.
Capacity available to meet demand
According to Przednowek, CN’s maximum sustainable end-to-end grain supply chain capacity is estimated at 36.7 million metric tonnes.
He says the railway has the employees, locomotives, railcars and operating plan in place to meet anticipated demand.
CN is now working closely with grain companies and customers to monitor harvest progress and determine the timing of new-crop shipping requirements, particularly given the late planting and variable crop conditions experienced across parts of Western Canada.
“Our focus right now is making sure we get the harvest ramp-up timing right and get off on the right foot this fall,” Przednowek said.