Grain cars derail north of Saskatoon

Jan 23, 2019

In total, 17 of 30 derailed cars carried grain

By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com

Investigators are trying to figure out what caused a train to derail near Warman, Sask. yesterday.

A 52-car Canadian National freight train came off its tracks around 9:30 a.m. at the intersection of Highway 11 and Wanuskewin Road.

Of the 52 cars, 30 derailed and 17 of those carried grain.

Federal investigators will be on scene to try to determine how the derailment occurred.

“The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) is deploying a team of investigators to the site of a derailment involving a Canadian National Railway train near Warman, Saskatchewan,” the agency said in a statement yesterday. “The investigators will be on site (Wednesday) to gather information and assess the occurrence.”

Eyewitness videos show fire rising from the train as it speeds along the track. CN has since confirmed that fuel leaked from the train.

“We recognized immediately there was a diesel fuel leak from one of the engines which subsequently caught fire,” Wayne Rodger, the Saskatoon Fire Department’s assistant chief, said to Global News.

Some of the focus now may shift to preventing these kinds of incidents.

CN could use any feedback from the derailment to make necessary policy changes, said James Nolan, a professor of ag and resource economics from the University of Saskatchewan.

“They are definitely trying to have a zero-tolerance policy on derailment, especially in urban areas, because of the fear it would engender,” Nolan told the Saskatoon StarPhoenix.

Farms.com has reached out to the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan and to Nolan for comment on the incident and any implications for farmers who perhaps had grain loaded on that train.

Warman Fire Rescue/Facebook photo

Video: Will the 2025 USDA December Crop Report Be a Market Mover/Surprise?

Historically, the USDA December crop report is a non-event or another dud report as the USDA reserves any final supply changes to the final report in January of the following year in this case 2026. But after the longest U.S. government shutdown in history at 43 days and no October crop report will they provide more data/surprise and make an exception?
Our China U.S. soybean purchase tracker is now at 26.6% or a total of 3.2 mmt but for traders it’s taking too long to unfold.
The final Stats Canada production report was bearish canola and wheat projection a record crop in both (it adds to the global glut of supplies) and bullish local corn and soybean prices in Ontario/Quebec thanks to a drought. It will not help the fund flow short-term, the USDA may need to offset it?
A U.S. Fed interest rate cut of another 25-basis point next Wednesday (probability 87.1%) could help fund flow and sentiment in stock and ag commodities into year end.
More inflows into Bitcoin this past week saw prices rebound back above 90,000 with support at 82,000 and resistance at 96,000.
A V-shaped bottom in cattle suggest the lows are in after Mexico reported another new world screwworm case. Lower weights, seasonal demand and higher U.S. beef select/choice values with a continued closure of the Mexican border to cattle will result in a resumption of higher cattle futures into yearend.
Australia is expected to produce its 3rd largest wheat crop ever at 36 mmt adding to the global glut of supplies.
Reports of ASF in hogs in Spain the largest pork exporter in Europe could see the U.S. win more pork export business long-term.
If the rains verify into next week of 3-5 inches for Brazil it would go a long way to fixing the dry regions from the last 2-months, but the European weather model has been wrong for the past 2-months!
Natural gas futures are surging to the 3rd price count as frigid hold temps set in.
CDN $ is also surging to end the week on a very resilient economy and better employment numbers suggesting no interest rate cuts next week.
Finally, the CFTC report showed funds were net buyers of soybeans but sellers of corn, canola and wheat. In real time the funds have gone back to selling as they take some profits.