Highlights

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1. The Canadian railway industry carried 23.2 million tonnes of freight in December, a 7.5% gain from December 2009.
2. The gain was the result of increased loadings by the industry's core transportation systems, non-intermodal and intermodal, and international freight loadings from the United States.
3. Compared with December 2009, non- intermodal loadings rose 6.1% to 18.6 million tonnes. The commodity groups with the largest gains in tonnage were potash, coal and colza seeds (canola). In total, 36 of the 63 commodity groups saw an increase in freight loadings for the month.
4. Intermodal freight loadings, comprised of containers and trailers on flat cars, rose 8.9% from December 2009 to 2.1 million tonnes. The increase was solely the result of a rise in containerized cargo shipments.
5. On an international scale, traffic received from the United States destined for or passing through Canada rose 18.8% from December 2009 to 2.4 million tonnes.
6. On a geographic basis, 59.1% of the freight traffic originating in Canada was loaded in the Western Division of Canada, with the remainder loaded in the Eastern Division. The Eastern and Western Divisions, for statistical purposes, 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.