According to today's USDA Grain Transportation Report, on January 20, CHS Inc. announced plans to build a new grain shuttle facility in southeast South Dakota.
The new 1.1-million-bushel grain facility will be located near an existing rail loop operated by BNSF with market access to Pacific Northwest export facilities and grain markets.
According to CHS (as reported to Brownfield Ag News), at the new facility, three to four people will be able to load a train in 6 to 8 hours, which nearly halves the time of nearby shuttle facilities.
According to the Freight Analysis Framework, South Dakota shipped 11.6 million tons of grain by rail in 2020. The top destinations for these shipments included shipments within the State (6.2 million tons), Illinois (2.5 million tons), Washington (1.5 million tons), and California (0.9 million tons).
Bids/offers for the delivery of shuttle cars have fallen in recent weeks (GTR figs. 3, 4, and 5) and are below the 3-year average.