(The following story by Cosby Woodruff appeared on the Montgomery Advertiser website on February 15.)
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Genesee & Wyoming Inc., which operates the Meridian & Bigbee Railroad, reported an 8.5 percent decline in January traffic.
The company blamed much of the lost traffic on a decrease in traffic along the Meridian & Bigbee, which runs from Montgomery to Meridian, Miss.
According to the company, haulage traffic decreased by 4,007 carloads in January compared to January 2007. The Meridian & Bigbee was used by other carriers following damage to lines closer to the Gulf Coast in 2005’s hurricanes.
As those lines were repaired, the Meridian & Bigbee lost traffic.
Overall, Genesee & Wyoming reported it moved 5,943 fewer carloads this January compared to last.