Statistics Canada reports that Canadian railways carried 29.5 million tonnes of freight in June. This was a slight increase (0.5%) from June 2020 (29.4 million tonnes), when rail traffic volumes fell to a four-year low because of widespread shutdowns at the onset of the pandemic.

The Federal Agency notes that the overall tonnage remained just below the five-year average of 30.6 million tonnes for June. Higher loadings of some energy products offset a sharp drop in iron ores and concentrates as well as continued declines in wheat and canola.

Non-intermodal freight loadings fell for the second month in a row, down 6.1% year over year to 29.9 million tonnes in June. This decline was driven by large tonnage decreases in certain raw minerals and agricultural and food products.

Intermodal shipments-mainly containers-originating in Canada increased by 27.2% to 3.2 million tonnes in June, the 10th straight month showing a year-over-year increase.

Freight traffic received from American railways was the main contributor to the overall increase in tonnage transported in June, rising sharply by 29.0% year over year to 3.4 million tonnes.

 

Back