Thank you, Mr. Chair and members of the committee.
I'd like to begin by acknowledging that we're gathered today on the traditional territory of the Algonquin and Anishinabe people.
My name is Tamara Rudge, and I'm the director general of surface transportation policy at Transport Canada.
Thank you to the committee for inviting us to speak about rail challenges and opportunities.
We acknowledge that agricultural companies rely on freight railways for timely and efficient service and that for many, rail remains the only practical and economical means of transporting their products to domestic and international markets.
Canadian railways operate in a complex freight rail network that connects over 400 grain elevators and moves high volumes of grain over long distances. Canada's reputation as a trading nation depends on its railways to meet demand and deliver on time.
The transportation of western grain by rail has generally been operating well. This past crop year, Canadian class I railways transported more than 53 million metric tons across their networks. The car cycle times—the length of time it takes a car to travel from its origin to destination and back—are regularly at or below the five-year average for the major western grain corridors, which are Vancouver, Prince Rupert and Thunder Bay.
The government continues to monitor this system's performance closely. We engage collaboratively with stakeholders to talk about the market dynamics that underpin Canada’s freight rail system. This helps inform and shape how Transport Canada and the government consider which legislative or regulatory changes, if any, are appropriate for ensuring that Canada's freight rail system remains competitive and efficient.
I'll turn to my colleague.