Canada’s two largest railways moved record grain volumes during the 2025-26 crop year, highlighting the critical role rail transportation plays in moving western Canadian agricultural exports to global markets. Canadian National Railway (CN) delivered more than 33.8 million tonnes of grain last year, surpassing its previous record of 31.2 million tonnes set in 2024-25, while Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) hauled 30.66 million tonnes of grain and grain products, an 11 per cent increase over the previous year and a new company record.

Looking ahead, both railways expect another big year for 2026-27, with CN indicating expected capacity to move up to 36.7 million tonnes and CPKC forecasting grain shipments of up to 34.5 million tonnes in 2026-27. In their recently released grain plans for the coming crop year, both CN and CPKC have outlined intended capacity and infrastructure investments to support continued strong movement of Canadian grain to domestic and international markets. Both railways are investing in locomotives, high-capacity hopper cars and network improvements to strengthen reliability and efficiency.