Statistics Canada reports that the volume of cargo carried by Canadian railways reached 31.0 million tonnes in August, up 2.4% from August 2021 levels, marking the fourth consecutive month of year-over-year increase.
The Federal Agency notes that the overall freight volume was just under the five-year average of 31.4 million tonnes for the month. Higher carloadings of certain energy products as well as some other commodities more than offset a sharp year-over-year drop in fuel oils and crude petroleum as well as ongoing declines in grain.
August’s total tonnage increase in freight carried reflected higher volumes across all types of rail operations.
Non-intermodal rail freight increased for the fourth consecutive month in August, up 2.7% year over year to 24.0 million tonnes, led by large increases in carloadings of some energy-based products.
Intermodal shipments-mainly containers-originating in Canada increased for the second consecutive month, edging up 2.3% year over year to 3.3 million tonnes, the highest volume ever recorded for the month.
Loadings from American railways edged up 0.5% to 3.8 million tonnes in August compared with the same month a year earlier, the third highest traffic level on record for the month.