Canada’s Grain Handling and Transportation System: A GIS-based Evaluation of Potential Policy Changes

This research re-examines both transportation allocation and infrastructure capacity problems associated with moving grain from the Western Canada to export position. The analysis is conducted with geographic information system software using grain industry data. In contrast with historical grain industry logistics methods, the analysis and simulation framework allows us to re-examine logistic solutions in this vast supply chain in the interest of improving overall delivery efficiency. In addition, we find that rail network capacity should not constrain any major expansion of grain movement in the system over the foreseeable future.