Railway carloadings, September 2023
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Released: 2023-11-21
30.7 million metric tonnes
September 2023
-1.9% 
(12-month change)
Highlights
In September, Canadian railways transported 30.7 million tonnes of freight, down slightly (-1.9%) from September 2022.
The overall freight volume remained just below the previous five-year average of 31.6 million tonnes for the month of September. While shipments of iron ores and concentrates were down, carloadings of coal and certain non-metallic minerals registered strong gains.
To further explore current and historical data in an interactive format, please visit the "Monthly Railway Carloadings: Interactive Dashboard."
Chart 1
Railway carloadings, total tonnage
Cumulative third quarter volume on par
In the nine-month period from January to September 2023, the volume of goods transported by rail amounted to 277.3 million tonnes, slightly higher (+1.6%) than that transported during the same January-to-September period in 2022.
Chart 2
Railway carloadings, total tonnage, January to September, 2019 to 2023
Intermodal traffic leads decline
In September 2023, intermodal shipments (mainly containers) originating from Canada led the overall decline in freight for the third month in a row, falling 10.2% year over year to 2.8 million tonnes. Container volumes have declined year over year for 10 straight months.
The September decrease may reflect a continued weakening of demand for imported goods, as Canadian international trade data reported that imports of consumer goods fell 11.4% year over year in September.
Iron ores and concentrates decreasing
Loadings of non-intermodal freight (mainly commodities) in Canada were down 1.8% year over year to 24.3 million tonnes in September, led in part by a decrease in carloadings of iron ores and concentrates.
Iron ores and concentrates fell by 9.2% (-426 000 tonnes) in September, compared with the same month in 2022. Similarly, Canada's exports of metal ores and non-metallic minerals decreased year over year in September, as reported by Canadian international merchandise trade.
Other cereal grains experienced a 39.2% drop (-293 000 tonnes) in September, compared with the same month in 2022.
Fuel oils and crude petroleum shipments dropped 15.6% (-147 000 tonnes) in September 2023 from September 2022.
Chart 3
Railway carloadings, largest commodity differences, September 2022 to September 2023
Coal carloadings up
The above-noted decreases were partly offset by a large increase in loadings of coal, up by 10.9% (+309 000 tonnes) year over year in September 2023, partially recovering from the steep year-over-year decline registered in August.
Also posting strong growth in September were loadings of potash, up 9.3% (+176 000 tonnes) year over year, and other oil seeds and nuts, other agricultural product, which jumped 200.0% (+146 000 tonnes) compared with September 2022.
American freight up
Loadings from connections with American railways posted a year-over-year increase, climbing 5.2% to 3.5 million tonnes in September. This was the second increase after 11 consecutive months of year-over-year declines.
Note to readers
The Monthly Railway Carloadings Survey collects data on the number of rail cars, tonnage, units and 20-feet equivalent units from railway transporters operating in Canada that provide for-hire freight services.
Cargo loadings from Armstrong, Ontario, to the Atlantic Coast are classified to the eastern division (eastern Canada), while loadings from Thunder Bay, Ontario, to the Pacific Coast are classified to the western division (western Canada).
Survey data are revised on a monthly basis to reflect new information.
The data in this release are not seasonally adjusted.
The Transportation Data and Information Hub provides Canadians with online access to comprehensive statistics and measures on the country's transportation sector.
Contact information
For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact us (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; 514-283-8300; infostats@statcan.gc.ca) or Media Relations (statcan.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.statcan@statcan.gc.ca).
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