(The following report by Cosby Woodruff appeared on the Montgomery Advertiser website on January 15.)
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Genesee and Wyoming Inc., the parent company to the Meridian and Bigbee railroad, reported declines in traffic for December and the fourth quarter, largely because of the loss of haulage along the M&B.
The railroad runs from Montgomery to Meridian, Miss., and was a major carrier after tracks closer to the Gulf were damaged by Hurricane Katrina. As those tracks were repaired, that traffic — called haulage — declined.
The company reported a decline of 3,665 carloads of haulage in December and 11,519 carloads of haulage in the fourth quarter.