Grain Transportation Report, January 29, 2026

Widespread Major Winter Storm Limits Barge Operations …From January 22 to 26, a severe winter storm swept over 2,000 miles, spanning the Southwest, Midwest, South, Mid-Atlantic, and Northeast.Since then, ice accumulation, as well as extreme cold, have continued to limit barge movements on the Mississippi River System.One barge operator, American Commercial Barge Line (ACBL), temporarily suspended fleeting operations at St. Louis, MO, and the Illinois River earlier this week.While operations have resumed in most areas, ACBL notes that customers should expect significant delays.Extreme cold has also contributed to low-water levels on the lower Mississippi River.Currently, river levels at St. Louis are -2.1 feet and expected to fall below the low-water threshold (-3.2 feet) in the coming days.As a result, the U.S. Coast Guard has restricted draft and tow sizes for much of the lower Mississippi River.Between Cairo, IL, and Beulah, MS, the Coast Guard restricts drafts for southbound tows to no greater than 10.5 feet and tows, to no more than 6 barges wide. … And Extends Rail Transit Times.Following the storm, Class I railroads issued service advisories on their progress to restore operations.BNSF Railway (BNSF) lifted coldweather restrictions on its southern network on January 27, and expects to lift restrictions on its northern network by tomorrow (January 30).By midweek, traffic movements were normalizing on BNSF's Southern Transcon, but a full network recovery is not expected until early next week.On January 25, CPKC reported slowdowns on its south-central U.S. network caused by freezing rain and ice, as CPKC crews worked to clear fallen trees.Norfolk Southern Railway's Austell Intermodal Facility (in Atlanta, GA) was closed on Monday, January 26, but reopened on Tuesday.On January 27, CSX Transportation (CSX) said heavy snowfall and frigid temperatures had disrupted its Northeast operations, as bitter cold created ongoing challenges for crews in the Midwest.The railroad reported clearing over 500 downed trees in its Southwest network.By January 27, CSX operations in the Southeast were stabilizing, and all CSX intermodal terminals were open, with some operating at reduced capacity. Export SalesFor the week ending January 22, unshipped balances of corn, soybeans, and wheat for marketing year (MY) 2025/26 totaled 44.26 million metric tons (mmt), down 1 percent from last week and up 20 percent from the same time last year.Net corn export sales for MY 2025/26 were 1.65 mmt, down 59 percent from last week.Net soybean export sales were 0.82 mmt, down 67 percent from last week.Net wheat export sales were 0.56 mmt, down 10 percent from last week.Rail U.S. Class I railroads originated 31,877 grain carloads during the week ending January 17.This was a 1-percent decrease from the previous week, 31 percent more than last year, and 26 percent more than the 3-year average.Average February shuttle secondary railcar bids/offers (per car) were $750 above tariff for the week ending January 22.This was $200 more than last week and $584 more than this week last year.Average non-shuttle secondary railcar bids/offers per car were $3 above tariff.This was $9 less than last week and $191 lower than this week last year.