Canadian Railcar Loadings Maintain Increases
OTTAWA - May 30/23 - SNS -- Canada's railways carried 33.2 million metric tons (MT) of argo in March, up 5.4% from last year for the 11th consecutive month of year-over-year increases, reports Statistics Canada.
For March 2023, cargo tonnage was well above the five-year average for the month and second only to the record-high of 33.3 million MT set in the same month in 2021, primarily due to a large increase in grain shipments, notably wheat.
For the first quarter of 2023, the cumulative volume of goods moved by rail totalled 93.9 million MT, up 10.1% from the January to March period in 2022 and the highest cumulative total ever recorded for a first quarter.
The non-intermodal freight loaded in Canada accounted for the overall increase in freight carried in March, rising 11.7% year over year to 26.6 million MT. While widespread, growth was driven by considerable increases in the loadings of some agricultural and food productsâmost notably grains.
Grain shipments by rail continue to reflect a rebound in Canadian grain production during 2022. Loadings of wheat have risen each month since September 2022 and surged by 132.3% (+1 596 000 MT) year over year in Marchâthe largest percentage increase ever recorded.
Similarly, loadings of canola grew 154.4% (+565 000 MT) in March from the same month in 2022, the sixth consecutive month of year-over-year growth, while other cereal grains were 39.2% (+137 000 MT) above March 2022 levels.
Other significant increases were reported for iron ores and concentrates, with loadings rising 4.8% (+235 000 MT) in March 2023 compared with March 2022. Loadings of animal or vegetable fats, oils and flours were up 26.1% (+100 000 MT) year over year in March 2023, the eighth consecutive monthly increase.
Petroleum Product Intermodal Trafic Down
Growth in non-intermodal loadings was moderated by declines in several commodities. Fuel oils and crude petroleum fell 12.6% (-140 000 MT) year over year in Marchâmarking the 10th consecutive month of declineâwhile loadings of gasoline and aviation turbine fuel were down 21.2% (-48 000 MT).
These declines mirror the March decrease in Canada's exports of energy products, as reported in the Canadian international merchandise trade series released earlier in May.
In addition, loadings of other oil seeds and nuts, other agricultural products declined for the second month in a row in March, down 53.6% (-78 000 MT) from March 2022, after a similar drop in February 2023 (-52.4%), while loadings of sulphuric acid fell 21.0% (-42 000 MT) year over year in March.
Finally, loadings of sand, gravel and crushed stone were down 19.3% (-41 000 MT) year over year in March, the second consecutive decline.
In March 2023, intermodal shipmentsâmainly containersâoriginating in Canada declined year over year for the fourth straight month, down 8.4% in March to 2.9 million MT.
Freight loadings from connections with American railways fell year over year for the seventh month in a row, down 18.3% to 3.7 million MT in March
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