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The backlog means grain elevators filling up at the farm, and emptying silos at ports leading to penalties for delayed shipments, he said.

The situation is hitting Canada’s reputation as a reliable shipper and could hit farmers who are relying on the timely payments, said Grain Growers of Canada president Jeff Nielsen.

“It’s hitting producers in the pocketbook, because if you can’t move the grain you don’t get paid,” he said.

“We have to be very competitive when we’re selling our grains on the worldwide market, and the world is looking at us, saying that we’re not a reliable shipper any more.”

Grain producers say passage of Bill C-49 would be an important step in solving the problem by creating penalties for delayed railway shipments as well as allowing more competition on the rail lines.

The rail companies have blamed a harsh winter for the delays, with CP Rail chief executive Keith Creel saying at a conference last week that the company saw more snow on its lines in the first 10 days of January than it saw in the entire month last year.

CN Rail chief financial officer Ghislain Houle said at the same conference that the cold and snow have restricted operations and forced it to cut train lengths by more than half, but that recently improving weather has helped boost speeds.

The Montreal-based railway has also faced criticism from the oil and gas sector, with the head of energy services firm Halliburton complaining about slow deliveries for frac sand disrupting its operations.