The volume of rail freight carried in Canada totalled 27.5 million tonnes in January, up 3.7 per cent from the same month last year, according to Statistics Canada Wednesday. Freight originating in Canada increased 6.4 per cent to 25.0 million tonnes.
Canada Railcar Loadings: January 2016
For the second consecutive month, the tonnage of coal, potash, and fuel oil and petroleum shipped by rail declined year over year, according to the latest data released by Statistics Canada Wednesday.
Freight originating in Canada increased 6.4 per cent to 25.0 million tonnes. These shipments are composed of both non-intermodal and intermodal freight.
Non-intermodal freight rose 5.9 per cent to 273,000 carloads. The amount of freight loaded into these cars totalled 22.3 million tonnes in January, up 6.8 per cent from the same month last year. The rise reflected an increase in freight loadings of iron ores and concentrates, up 2.2 million tonnes..
Intermodal freight loadings rose 5.6 per cent to 178,000 units in January. In terms of weight, intermodal traffic grew 3.3 per cent to 2.6 million tonnes as a result of an increase in containerized cargo shipments.
Freight traffic received from the United States fell 17.8 per cent to 2.5 million tonnes as a result of a decrease in both non-intermodal and intermodal shipments.
US Railcar Loadings: Week of March 26, 2016
The Association of American Railroads (AAR) also Wednesday reported US rail traffic for this week: total US weekly rail traffic was 470,271 carloads and intermodal units, down 16.5 per cent compared with the same week last year.
Total carloads for the week ending Mar. 26 were 232,348 carloads, down 18.5 per cent compared with the same week in 2015, while US weekly intermodal volume was 237,923 containers and trailers, down 14.5 per cent compared to 2015.