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Railway carloadings
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The Canadian railway industry loaded 23.9 million metric tonnes in October, a 6.2% drop from October 2007 and the lowest amount loaded for the month of October since 2002.
Both non-intermodal and intermodal loadings were down from October 2007 levels.
Non-intermodal loadings fell 6.4% from October 2007 to 21.4 million metric tonnes. Overall, 38 of the 64 commodity groups registered decreased activity. The top five commodity groupings that experienced the largest percentage decreases in tonnage were parts and accessories for motor vehicles, machinery, other non-metallic mineral products, fresh, chilled or dried vegetables, and freight motor vehicles (which include motor vehicles for the transport of goods and road tractors for semi-trailers).
Intermodal loadings declined 4.7% from October 2007 to 2.5 million metric tonnes. Both containers and trailers loaded on flat cars recorded decreases in tonnage loaded.
Rail freight traffic coming from the United States increased to 3.3 million metric tonnes, up 6.0% compared with the same period in 2007.
Available on CANSIM: table 404-0002.
Definitions, data sources and methods: survey number 2732.
The October 2008 issue of Monthly Railway Carloadings, Vol. 85, no. 10 (52-001-XWE, free), is now available from the Publications module of our website.
For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact the Dissemination Unit (toll-free 1-866-500-8400; fax: 613-951-0009; transportationstatistics@statcan.gc.ca), Transportation Division.
