Canada starts new crop year with record rail grain shipments

Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) set a new grain transportation record at the start of the 2026/27 crop year. In August, the railway moved 2.54 mln tons of Canadian grain and grain products, the highest volume ever recorded for the month.

During the first four weeks of the new crop year, CPKC moved 26,051 carloads of grain. The previous August record was set in 2020, when the railway transported 2.43 mln tons, or 24,711 carloads. This year’s volume exceeded the previous record by around 4.5%.

The record start to the new season follows strong transportation volumes in the previous crop year. In 2025/26, CPKC moved a record 30.66 mln tons of Canadian grain and grain products, the highest annual volume in the company’s history. Monthly records were also set in January, February, April, May and June.

In July, CPKC presented its grain service plan for the 2026/27 crop year, outlining its operations for handling the new Canadian crop. The company’s rail network connects Canada, the United States and Mexico and spans approximately 20,000 route miles.

Across its Canadian and US network, CPKC also set an overall monthly grain transportation record in August. The railway moved 4.86 mln tons of grain, equivalent to 50,396 carloads.

Tags: grain, Canada, rail transportation