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Canadian rail traffic drops in August due to work stoppage disruptions

Posted on October 25, 2024 |

In August, Canadian railways moved 27.8 million tons of freight, down 10.9% from the previous year, marking the lowest August total in over a decade.

Fewer shipments of coal, potash, and containers, along with a brief but impactful work stoppage, contributed to the decline in freight tonnage.

To avoid stranding cargo, rail carriers started shutting down operations ahead of the stoppage, and U.S. railways, along with a major marine container line, stopped accepting shipments bound for Canada.

Even after the work stoppage ended on August 24, overall rail volumes for the month dropped across non-intermodal, intermodal, and U.S. traffic.

Eastern Canada saw a 13.1% drop in rail traffic compared to the previous year, while Western Canada experienced a 9.5% decrease.

Intermodal shipments, mostly containers, fell 15.6% in August from the previous year, reaching their lowest August level in more than 10 years.

U.S. freight traffic to Canada also decreased by 18.5% in August, marking the lowest August total since 2020 after six months of growth.