September Rail Traffic Inched Lower
OTTAWA - Nov 19/24 - SNS -- Canadian railways hauled 0.8% less cargo than last year in September, moving 30.9 million metric tons (MT), according to Statistics Canada.
Freight traffic volume was just below the five-year average of 31.2 MT for the month of September. On a year-to-date basis through September 2024, the volume of goods moved by rail totalled 280.0 million MT, slightly higher (+0.8%) than that transported during the same nine months in 2023.
The small decline in total freight carried in September 2024 reflected lower volumes across all types of rail operations: non-intermodal loadings (mainly commodities) and intermodal loadings (mainly containers), as well as freight traffic from connections with American railways.
In September, non-intermodal freight loadings in Canada edged down 0.1% year over year to 24.4 million MT. Loadings of potash posted a year-over-year decrease for a second consecutive month, down 6.9% (-145 000 MT) from September 2023.
Year-over-year decreases were also reported for loadings of other oil seeds and nuts, other agricultural products, down 62.1% (-144 000 MT) in September 2024, while wood pulp loadings fell 26.3% (-120 000 MT) over the same period.
Several commodities registered large increases in September, partly offsetting the above-noted declines. Iron ores and concentrates led the increase, with loadings rising by 7.0% (+297 000 MT) from September 2023.
Carloadings of certain agricultural and food products also increased in September 2024. Loadings of fresh, chilled, or dried vegetables grew 44.7% (+251 000 MT) from September 2023. Similarly, loadings of canola increased for the sixth consecutive month, up 22.0% (+146 000 MT) in September from the same month in 2023.
In September 2024, intermodal shipmentsâmainly containersâ originating in Canada edged down (-0.7%) year over year to 2.8 million MT, the lowest volume recorded for the month of September in eight years.
In September 2024, 3.6 million MT of rail freight were received from the United States, down 5.0%, or 193 000 MT, from September of the previous year.
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