Railway carloadings, September 2016
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Released: 2016-11-30
29.8 million tonnes
September 2016
-1.6%
(12-month change)
The volume of rail freight carried in Canada totalled 29.8 million tonnes in September, down 1.6% from the same month last year.
In September, freight originating in Canada decreased 1.6% from the same month last year to 27.2 million tonnes.
Non-intermodal freight declined 1.6% to 295,343 carloads in September. The amount of freight loaded into these cars totalled 24.4 million tonnes, down 2.2% from the same month last year.
Tonnages of iron ores and concentrates (-12.4%), fuel oils and crude petroleum (-38.5%), other chemical products and preparations (-47.0%), iron and steel-primary or semi-finished (-34.5%) and colza seeds (-9.8%) shipped by rail declined in September on a year-over-year basis.
In comparison, tonnages of coal (+17.4%), fresh, chilled or dried vegetables (+36.5%) and other oil seeds and nuts and other agricultural products (+64.8%) were up in September compared with the same month last year.
Intermodal freight loadings rose 2.3% to just over 189,000 units between September 2015 and September 2016. The 2.7% increase in containers-on-flat-cars offset the 13.7% decline in trailers-on-flat-cars. In terms of weight, intermodal traffic increased 3.9% to 2.8 million tonnes.
Freight traffic received from the United States fell 1.2% to 2.6 million tonnes as a result of a 2.3% decrease in non-intermodal freight, while intermodal freight from the United States increased 10.2%.
Note to readers
The Monthly Railway Carloadings Survey collects data, including the number of rail cars, tonnage, units and 20-feet equivalent units, from railways operating in Canada that provide for-hire freight service.
Non-intermodal freight is cargo moved via box cars or loaded in bulk. Intermodal freight is cargo moved via containers and trailers on flat cars.
Data are available for Canada, the eastern division and the western division. For statistical purposes, cargo loadings from Thunder Bay, Ontario, to the Pacific Coast are classified to the western division, while loadings from Armstrong, Ontario, to the Atlantic Coast are classified to the eastern division.
Data in this release are not seasonally adjusted.
Contact information
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