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The Canadian railway industry loaded 23.9 million metric tonnes
in October, a 6.2% drop from October 2007. The drop also marks the
lowest amount of loadings 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 transport of goods and road tractors for semi-trailers).
Intermodal loadings dropped 4.7% from October 2007 to 2.5 million
metric tonnes. Both containers and trailers-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 last year.