Railway carloadings, June 2024

Released: 2024-08-22

Highlights

Canadian railways carried 30.2 million tonnes of freight in June, up 4.9% from June 2023. Higher shipments of iron ores, canola, potash and other cereal grains were the main contributors to this third straight month of year-over-year growth.

The volume of freight carried in June 2024 was on par with the five-year monthly average of 30.3 million tonnes. For the first two quarters of 2024, the cumulative volume was 188.8 million tonnes, up slightly (+1.5%) compared with the same period in 2023.

To further explore the latest data and historical trends in an interactive format, please visit the "Monthly Railway Carloadings: Interactive Dashboard."

Chart 1 
Railway carloadings, total tonnage

The year-over-year increase in June 2024 was entirely attributable to higher volumes of non-intermodal freight loadings, as intermodal loadings and rail traffic from American connections both declined.

Iron ores and concentrates carloadings lead increase

Non-intermodal freight loadings (mainly commodities) in Canada accounted for the overall increase in June, rising by 6.9% year over year to 23.8 million tonnes, the third month of increase.

Iron ores and concentrates—feedstock to produce steel—led the increase in June, with loadings rising sharply by 16.5% (+660 000 tonnes) from June 2023. Some of this increase may be a base effect reflecting the temporary suspension of operations at a Quebec and Labrador mine site in June 2023 due to wildfires.

In June 2024, rail carloadings of certain grains also posted large year-over-year increases. Indeed, producer deliveries of major grains to a primary elevator were about 6.8% higher in June than they were a year earlier. In June, rail carloadings of canola grew 89.8% (+457 000 tonnes) compared with the same month in 2023—the third consecutive month of sharp growth—while carloadings of other cereal grains increased sharply by 82.1% (+228 000 tonnes) from the June 2023 level.

These increases in carloadings of grain in June 2024 mirrored the increase in Canadian imports and exports of farm, fishing and intermediate food products, as reported in the international merchandise trade data, released earlier this month.

Loadings of potash also posted strong growth in June, up 16.6% (+304 000 tonnes) year over year, their 11th consecutive monthly increase, reflecting strong global demand for Canadian fertilizers.

Chart 2 
Railway carloadings, largest commodity differences, June 2023 to June 2024

Growth in non-intermodal freight loadings in June was moderated by large tonnage decreases for two commodities. Loadings of cement declined for a fifth consecutive month and were down 56.7% (-172 000 tonnes) from June 2023, while loadings of coal were 4.5% (-152 000 tonnes) below June 2023 levels.

Intermodal traffic down

In June 2024, intermodal shipments—mainly containers—originating in Canada declined for the first time after four months of increases. Tonnage was down 1.1% year over year to 2.9 million tonnes but remained just below the five-year average of 3.0 million tonnes for June.

American freight down

Freight loadings from connections with American railways also posted a year-over-year decrease after four months of increases, decreasing 2.4% from June 2023 to 3.5 million tonnes in June 2024.

Contact information

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