Canadian Pacific unveiled the next generation of hopper cars for grain transport at the G3 Pasqua Pasqua terminal, in Moose Jaw, a city in southern Saskatchewan province. The 8,500-foot High Efficiency Product (HEP) train features new, and highly efficient, Canadian-made hopper cars, and can move approximately 44 percent more grain than the prior generation of grain train.
The new hopper cars feature a capacity 10 percent greater by weight than the older-model cars, and 15 percent more volume. The cars carry this extra product on a frame 5 percent shorter than the older cars, meaning more cars can fit into a train of the same length. The cars are part of a CAD 500 million (USD 380 million) investment CP is making to upgrade its fleet. By the end of this year, CP will have approximately 500 new hopper cars in service, and that number will grow to 1,000 by spring 2019. Over the next four years, CP plans to purchase a total of 5,900 new hopper cars.
“As CP continues to take delivery of new railcars, and elevator operators expand their facilities to handle 8,500-foot trains, this HEP train will become the new gold standard – driving further efficiencies for farmers, shippers and the entire grain supply chain,” said CP’s Vice-President Sales and Marketing – Grain and Fertilizers.
G3, Canada’s newest grain handler, constructed its state-of-the-art Pasqua terminal loop track to handle the 8,500-foot-long HEP trains. The fast loading loop track means CP can keep locomotives attached to the train during loading, and those same locomotives are in place to launch the train once loading is complete.
“CP’s new high-capacity hopper cars add an important link in the grain supply chain. Combined with fast, efficient loading on G3 loop track systems, these trains will accelerate the flow of grain to market, to the benefit of all our customers. G3 is proud to work in close collaboration with CP,” said G3 CEO Don Chapman.
CP is driving towards a supply chain model capable of loading, transporting, and unloading 8,500-foot long, power-on, unit trains with a minimum of 134 hopper cars of export grain in Canada. The 8,500-foot train model will carry a minimum of 134 grain hopper cars based on industry-average car lengths, which is 20% more grain than 112 car grain trains.
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