ANKENY, Iowa – According to the USDA’s Jan. 22 Grain Transportation Report, rail grain shipments surged 22 percent, while barge movements declined 15 percent, with the recent severe winter weather playing a key role in the barge transportation decrease, for the week ending Jan. 17.

The report said rail U.S. Class I railroads originated 32,255 grain carloads during the week ending Jan. 10. This was a 22 percent increase from the previous week, 26 percent more than last year, and 31 percent more than the three-year average.

The report added that average January shuttle secondary rail car bids/offers (per car) were $325 above tariff for the week ending Jan. 15. This was $21 more than last week, and $338 more than this week last year. Average non-shuttle secondary rail car bids/offers per car were $25 above tariff. This was $13 less than last week, and $225 lower than this week last year.

Shuttle refers to 100 or more car trains while non shuttle is single cars or smaller groups of cars. 

In addition, barged grain movements totaled 446,867 tons. This was 15 percent less than the previous week, and 4 percent more than the same week last year. That same week, there were 985 grain barges unloaded in the New Orleans region, 19 percent fewer than the previous week.

Mike Steenhoek, Soy Transportation Coalition executive director in Ankeny, told Farm World the recent severe winter weather has had a detrimental impact on barge transportation: “Safety concerns for inland waterway workers – both those working on a barge and those on the shoreline loading the barge – will arise during extreme winter events.

“Ice accumulation on the river can narrow the width of the shipping channel, which can result in having to limit the number of barges comprising a single flotilla or unit,” he added. “Ice accumulation on the river will result in reduced flow and potential shallow locations in the channel.”

He said ice and snow accumulation on railroad tracks must be cleared, which will reduce the fluidity and efficiency of the rail network: “Frigid temperatures will often cause mechanical breakdowns. Machinery obviously does not perform as normal in extreme cold temperatures.

“A train’s air braking system is significantly impacted by frigid temperatures – especially when below zero degrees Fahrenheit,” he added. “Water vapor in the compressed air will freeze into ice, which inhibits air flow through the braking system. This can result in brake failure.”

As a result, he said, “Rubber components (such as gaskets and seals) will harden in frigid temperatures and become less pliable. Leaks can often result. Cold air is denser than warm air. More time is therefore required to build pressure for the air braking system. This can cause delay at rail terminals.”

For barges, he said safety concerns for inland waterway workers – both those working on a barge and those on the shoreline loading the barge – will arise during extreme winter events: “Railroads will have to resort to reducing the length of trains – often by 25 percent or greater – and reduce speed.”

As far as the outlook for soybean transportation for the next few months, and how it will impact U.S. farmers, he said: “Low-water conditions on the Mississippi River continue to present challenges. Historically, we’ll start to see additional water levels over the next three months, which is something we will be monitoring.”