Statistics Canada reports Canadian railways transported 30.9 million tonnes of freight in June, up 3.2% from June of last year and a third consecutive monthly increase.

Increased loadings of grains and other commodities more than offset steep declines in iron ores and coal. Higher volumes of freight traffic from US rail connections also contributed to the overall tonnage increase.

The overall tonnage was the highest recorded for June in seven years. On a year-to-date basis through June, the volume of cargo moved by rail totalled 190.6 million tonnes, up slightly (+1.3%) compared with the same six-month period in 2025.

The increase in total freight carried in June was the result of higher volumes of domestic non-intermodal (mainly commodities) and freight traffic from US rail connections.

Loadings of non-intermodal freight in Canada increased for the second month, up 1.4% year over year to 23.9 million tonnes in June, led by large increases for certain grains.

Intermodal shipments originating from Canada - mainly containers - continued their downward trend, decreasing slightly (-0.6%) from June the previous year to 3.2 million tonnes, marking the fourth consecutive monthly decline.

Freight loadings from American railways continued to grow in June for the fifth straight month, rising by 20.3% year over year to 3.8 million tonnes. This was the second-highest volume for the month on record.

 

Back