OTTAWA, Ont. -- The volume of cargo carried by Canadian railways increased in May, as both commodity loadings in Canada and traffic received from the US rose, according to reports from Statistics Canada.
Total freight traffic originating in Canada and received from the US increased to 25.2 million metric tonnes, up 20.6% from May 2009.
Compared with May 2009, freight loaded in Canada rose 18.2% to 22.8 million metric tonnes in May.
Non-intermodal freight loadings, which are typically carried in bulk or loaded in box cars, rose 19.2% to 20.5 million metric tonnes. The commodity groups with the largest increases in tonnage were coal, potash, iron ores and concentrates and iron and steel (primary or semi-finished).
In contrast, several commodity groups registered declines. Leading the drop in tonnage were colza seeds (canola), followed by wood pulp, wood chips and lumber.
Intermodal freight loadings, transported through containers and trailers loaded onto flat cars, increased 10.7% to 2.3 million metric tonnes in May, compared with the same month a year earlier.
Rail freight traffic coming from the US rose to about 2.4 million metric tonnes, up 48.3% from May 2009. Non-intermodal freight transported from the US contributed to the increase, according to StatsCan.