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Today, Genesee & Wyoming Inc. (GWI) reported June traffic volume totaling 76,153 carloads, down 10.4 percent compared with June 2011. “Same-railroad” traffic declined 12 percent.

“Other” traffic plunged 65.5 percent to 2,875 units primarily because there were no overhead coal shipments in the Ohio Region in June, GWI officials said in a prepared statement. Farm and food products volume dropped 21.9 percent to 8,189 units primarily due to decreased shipments in the Australia and Illinois regions. In the Australia Region, a customer’s terminal had undergone a maintenance outage, and in the Illinois Region, traffic levels were elevated in 2011 because carloads were diverted around flooded areas in the Midwest, GWI officials said.

In addition, coal and coke traffic decreased 12.9 percent to 14,750 units due to lower shipments in the Illinois and New York/Pennsylvania regions, and petroleum products traffic dipped 4.7 percent to 2,436 units.

In the second quarter, GWI’s traffic totaled 232,315 carloads, down 6.9 percent compared with the same 2011 period. Same-railroad traffic declined 8.6 percent.

In the quarter, other traffic fell 60 percent to 9,254 units; coal and coke volume dropped 16.5 percent to 39,697 units; farm and food products traffic declined 12.4 percent to 28,299 units; and autos and auto parts volume decreased 11.6 percent to 2,546 units. On the plus side, metallic ores traffic jumped 40.2 percent to 11,148 units, intermodal volume rose 9.8 percent to 16,170 units, and chemicals and plastics traffic increased 9.4 percent to 16,558 units.

GWI owns and operates 65 regionals and short lines in the United States, Australia, Canada, Netherlands and Belgium. The railroads are organized into 10 regions.