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News Release

Western Grain Revenue Cap Price Index Increased for Crop Year 2005-2006

OTTAWA - April 28, 2005 - The Canadian Transportation Agency, in Decision No. 251-R-2005, today announced a 4.4 per cent increase in the volume-related Composite Price Index to be used to establish railway-specific revenue caps for the movement of Western grain for crop year 2005-2006. This index is an inflation factor to cover Canadian National and Canadian Pacific Railway's price changes for railway labour, fuel, material and capital inputs.

The Agency's Decision for 2005-2006 reflects a revised "weighting" of the cost components that are taken into account when establishing the index. The revised weights were derived based on 2002 system-wide data and were "price updated" to crop year 2004-2005. The impact of using the revised weights was to lower the volume-related composite price index by 0.5 per cent.

The revenue cap applies to the movement of grain by prescribed railway companies from Prairie elevators to terminals at Vancouver, Prince Rupert, Thunder Bay and Churchill.

In the course of establishing the volume-related Composite Price Index, the Agency consulted with parties in the grain handling and transportation industries including producer representatives, the Canadian Wheat Board, shipper organizations, railway companies, grain companies and federal, provincial and municipal governments.

The current "revenue cap" regime, which came into effect on August 1, 2000, applies to the movement of Western grain by a prescribed railway company. It replaces the former rate scale regime for such movements. As a result, the Canada Transportation Act requires the Agency to determine each railway company's revenue cap annually and whether or not each cap has been exceeded by the railway company. The volume-related Composite Price Index is one of several inputs required in the determination of the railway company revenue caps.

The Canadian Transportation Agency is a Government of Canada quasi-judicial tribunal. The Agency deals with, among other things, rate and service complaints arising in the rail industry; disputes between railway companies and other parties; applications for certificates of fitness for the proposed construction and operation of railways; approvals for railway line construction; regulated railway interswitching rates; and revenue caps for the movement of Western grain by rail. The Agency also develops costing standards and regulations, and audits railway companies' accounting and statistics-generating systems.

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For more information, please contact:

Jim Riegle
Manager, Grain Division
(819) 997-6542

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