(The Associated Press circulated the following on March 10, 2010.)
NEW YORK — Short line and regional railroad operator Genesee & Wyoming Inc. said Wednesday its traffic fell 9 percent last month from February 2009, mostly due to lower shipments of coal, coke and ores.
The railroad shipped 63,583 carloads in February, compared with 69,844 in February 2009.
Shipments of coal, coke and ores — the railroad’s biggest segment, fell 12 percent to 17,430 carloads. The company blamed the shortfall mostly on lower shipments in the Rocky Mountains, New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania.
Most other segments also showed declines. Auto and auto part shipments rose, while shipments of minerals and petroleum stayed steady.
Genesee & Wyoming owns and operates short line and regional freight railroads in the United States, Canada, Australia and the Netherlands.