Railway carloadings

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June 2011  (Previous release)

Total rail freight traffic originating in Canada and received from the United States reached a combined 25.3 million tonnes in June, up 4.1% from June 2010.

The main freight rail transportation systems in Canada, non-intermodal and intermodal, accounted for 89.0% of the total traffic carried in June. Together, their freight rose 3.5% from the same month last year to 22.6 million tonnes in June.

Non-intermodal freight loadings represented the majority of the total domestic cargo loaded in June with 20.2 million tonnes, up 4.1% from June 2010. The gain was attributed to increased loadings in more than half of the commodity classifications carried by the railways. The commodity groups that had the largest gains in tonnage were potash, wood pulp and lumber.

Intermodal freight loadings fell 0.9% from June 2010 to 2.3 million tonnes in June. The decline was a result of decreases in both containers and trailers loaded on flat cars.

Internationally, rail traffic received from the United States in June rose to 2.8 million tonnes, up 9.0% from the same month in 2010. The gain was the result of an increase in non-intermodal traffic, which rose 10.6% to 2.6 million tonnes in June.

Geographically, 60.0% of the freight traffic originating in Canada was loaded in the Western Division of Canada, with the remainder loaded in the Eastern Division. For statistical purposes, the Eastern and Western Divisions are separated by an imaginary line running from Thunder Bay to Armstrong, Ontario. Freight loaded at Thunder Bay is included in the Western Division while loadings at Armstrong are reported in the Eastern Division.

Available on CANSIM: table 404-0002.

Definitions, data sources and methods: survey number 2732.

The June 2011 issue of Monthly Railway Carloadings, Vol. 88, no. 6 (52-001-X, free), is now available from the Key resource module of our website under Publications.

For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact Client Services (toll-free 1-866-500-8400; transportationstatistics@statcan.gc.ca), Transportation Division.