DARIEN, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Genesee & Wyoming Inc. (G&W) (NYSE:GWR) today reported traffic volumes for August 2018.
G&W’s total traffic in August 2018 was 296,442 carloads, an increase of 18,970 carloads, or 6.8%, compared with August 2017. G&W’s same railroad traffic in August 2018 increased 29,674 carloads, or 11.1%, compared with G&W’s traffic in August 2017, excluding carloads from G&W’s former Continental European intermodal business (ERS), which was sold in June 2018.
G&W’s traffic in the third quarter of 2018 through August was 581,196 carloads, an increase of 26,584 carloads, or 4.8%, compared with the third quarter of 2017 through August. G&W’s same railroad traffic in the third quarter of 2018 increased 47,737 carloads, or 8.9%, compared with the third quarter of 2017 through August, excluding carloads from G&W’s former Continental European intermodal business (ERS).
The table below sets forth summary total carloads by segment.
| Segment | Aug 2018 | Aug 2017 | Change |
% |
|||||||||
| North American Operations | 157,699 | 141,221 | 16,478 | 11.7% | |||||||||
| Australian Operations(1) | 54,528 | 39,771 | 14,757 | 37.1% | |||||||||
| U.K./European Operations | 84,215 | 96,480 | (12,265) | (12.7%) | |||||||||
| Total G&W Operations | 296,442 | 277,472 | 18,970 | 6.8% | |||||||||
| Carloads From Divested Operations(2) | 0 | 10,704 | (10,704) | NM | |||||||||
| Same Railroad Carloads | 296,442 | 266,768 | 29,674 | 11.1% | |||||||||
| (1) | 51.1% owned by G&W. | |
| (2) | Total carloads from ERS, which was sold in June 2018. | |
August 2018 Highlights by Segment
- North American Operations: Traffic in August 2018 was 157,699 carloads, an increase of 11.7% compared with August 2017, with increases across most commodity groups, including coal & coke, metals, minerals & stone and lumber & forest products.
- Australian Operations: Traffic in August 2018 was 54,528 carloads, an increase of 37.1% compared with August 2017, primarily due to increased coal & coke and minerals & stone traffic, partially offset by decreased agricultural products and metallic ores traffic. Carload information for G&W’s 51.1% owned Australian Operations is presented on a 100% basis.
- U.K./European Operations: Traffic in August 2018 was 84,215 carloads, a decrease of 12.7% compared with August 2017. Excluding traffic from ERS, same railroad traffic in August 2018 was 84,215 carloads, a decrease of 1.8% compared with same railroad traffic in August 2017 of 85,776 carloads, primarily due to lower intermodal traffic in the U.K.
The table below sets forth North American Operations carload information by commodity group.
| North American Operations: | Aug 2018 | Aug 2017 | Change |
% |
|||||||||
| Agricultural Products | 17,415 | 16,309 | 1,106 | 6.8% | |||||||||
| Autos & Auto Parts | 3,036 | 3,545 | (509) | (14.4%) | |||||||||
| Chemicals & Plastics | 15,456 | 15,008 | 448 | 3.0% | |||||||||
| Coal & Coke | 25,738 | 21,056 | 4,682 | 22.2% | |||||||||
| Food & Kindred Products | 5,484 | 5,262 | 222 | 4.2% | |||||||||
| Intermodal | 1,734 | 1,131 | 603 | 53.3% | |||||||||
| Lumber & Forest Products | 13,595 | 12,095 | 1,500 | 12.4% | |||||||||
| Metallic Ores | 1,732 | 1,619 | 113 | 7.0% | |||||||||
| Metals | 15,287 | 12,038 | 3,249 | 27.0% | |||||||||
| Minerals & Stone | 22,028 | 19,508 | 2,520 | 12.9% | |||||||||
| Petroleum Products | 8,671 | 8,596 | 75 | 0.9% | |||||||||
| Pulp & Paper | 15,279 | 14,319 | 960 | 6.7% | |||||||||
| Waste | 5,449 | 4,920 | 529 | 10.8% | |||||||||
| Other | 6,795 | 5,815 | 980 | 16.9% | |||||||||
| Total Carloads | 157,699 | 141,221 | 16,478 | 11.7% | |||||||||
- Coal & coke traffic increased 4,682 carloads, or 22.2%, primarily due to increased shipments of steam coal in G&W’s Midwest and Central regions.
- Metals traffic increased 3,249 carloads, or 27.0%, primarily due to increased scrap and finished steel shipments in most G&W regions.
- Minerals & stone traffic increased 2,520 carloads, or 12.9%, primarily due to increased shipments of construction aggregates and cement in most G&W regions and frac sand in G&W’s Northeast Region.
- Lumber & forest products increased 1,500 carloads, or 12.4%, due to increased shipments of lumber in all G&W regions.
- All remaining traffic increased by a net 4,527 carloads.
The table below sets forth carload information for G&W’s 51.1% owned Australian Operations by commodity group.
| Australian Operations(1): | Aug 2018 | Aug 2017 | Change |
% |
|||||||||
| Agricultural Products | 2,499 | 4,223 | (1,724) | (40.8%) | |||||||||
| Coal & Coke | 39,643 | 27,499 | 12,144 | 44.2% | |||||||||
| Intermodal | 4,684 | 5,143 | (459) | (8.9%) | |||||||||
| Metallic Ores | 2,002 | 2,877 | (875) | (30.4%) | |||||||||
| Minerals & Stone | 5,670 | 0 | 5,670 | NM | |||||||||
| Petroleum Products | 30 | 29 | 1 | 3.4% | |||||||||
| Total Carloads | 54,528 | 39,771 | 14,757 | 37.1% | |||||||||
| (1) | 51.1% owned by G&W. | |
- Coal & coke traffic increased 12,144, or 44.2%, primarily because traffic from August 2017 through December 2017 was negatively impacted by industrial action at Hunter Valley coal mines.
- Minerals & stone traffic increased 5,670 carloads, primarily as gypsum traffic from August 2017 through September 2017 was negatively impacted by an outage at a customer port facility.
- Agricultural products traffic decreased 1,724 carloads, or 40.8%, primarily due to a weaker 2017-2018 harvest in South Australia.
- Metallic ores traffic decreased 875 carloads, or 30.4%, primarily due to the planned, temporary shutdown of an iron ore mine in October 2017.
- All remaining traffic decreased by a net 458 carloads.
The table below sets forth U.K./European Operations carload information by commodity group.
| U.K./European Operations: | Aug 2018 | Aug 2017 | Change |
% |
|||||||||
| Agricultural Products | 313 | 364 | (51) | (14.0%) | |||||||||
| Coal & Coke | 1,681 | 1,174 | 507 | 43.2% | |||||||||
| Intermodal | 66,174 | 78,603 | (12,429) | (15.8%) | |||||||||
| Minerals & Stone | 16,026 | 16,339 | (313) | (1.9%) | |||||||||
| Petroleum Products | 21 | 0 | 21 | NM | |||||||||
| Total Carloads | 84,215 | 96,480 | (12,265) | (12.7%) | |||||||||
| Carloads From Divested Operations(1) | 0 | 10,704 | (10,704) | NM | |||||||||
| Same Railroad Carloads | 84,215 | 85,776 | (1,561) | (1.8%) | |||||||||
| (1) | Total carloads from ERS, which was sold in June 2018. | |
The following highlights relate to U.K./European same railroad traffic.
- Intermodal traffic decreased 1,725 carloads, or 2.5%, due to decreased shipments in the U.K. primarily caused by operational issues at a U.K. port.
- All remaining traffic increased by a net 164 carloads.
Third Quarter of 2018 Through August
The table below sets forth summary total carloads by segment.
| Segment |
QTD August |
QTD August |
Change |
% |
|||||||||
| North American Operations | 307,380 | 275,043 | 32,337 | 11.8% | |||||||||
| Australian Operations(1) | 109,865 | 92,099 | 17,766 | 19.3% | |||||||||
| U.K./European Operations | 163,951 | 187,470 | (23,519) | (12.5%) | |||||||||
| Total G&W Operations | 581,196 | 554,612 | 26,584 | 4.8% | |||||||||
| Carloads From Divested Operations(2) | 0 | 21,153 | (21,153) | NM | |||||||||
| Same Railroad Carloads | 581,196 | 533,459 | 47,737 | 8.9% | |||||||||
| (1) | 51.1% owned by G&W. | |
| (2) | Total carloads from ERS, which was sold in June 2018. | |
The table below sets forth North American Operations carload information by commodity group.
| North American Operations: |
QTD August |
QTD August |
Change |
% |
|||||||||
| Agricultural Products | 34,480 | 31,632 | 2,848 | 9.0% | |||||||||
| Autos & Auto Parts | 5,926 | 6,066 | (140) | (2.3%) | |||||||||
| Chemicals & Plastics | 29,994 | 29,572 | 422 | 1.4% | |||||||||
| Coal & Coke | 48,767 | 42,146 | 6,621 | 15.7% | |||||||||
| Food & Kindred Products | 10,304 | 9,761 | 543 | 5.6% | |||||||||
| Intermodal | 2,901 | 2,132 | 769 | 36.1% | |||||||||
| Lumber & Forest Products | 25,542 | 23,942 | 1,600 | 6.7% | |||||||||
| Metallic Ores | 3,210 | 3,153 | 57 | 1.8% | |||||||||
| Metals | 30,677 | 22,457 | 8,220 | 36.6% | |||||||||
| Minerals & Stone | 42,472 | 38,026 | 4,446 | 11.7% | |||||||||
| Petroleum Products | 17,421 | 17,079 | 342 | 2.0% | |||||||||
| Pulp & Paper | 30,839 | 28,830 | 2,009 | 7.0% | |||||||||
| Waste | 11,009 | 10,023 | 986 | 9.8% | |||||||||
| Other | 13,838 | 10,224 | 3,614 | 35.3% | |||||||||
| Total Carloads | 307,380 | 275,043 | 32,337 | 11.8% | |||||||||
The table below sets forth carload information for G&W’s 51.1% owned Australian Operations by commodity group.
| Australian Operations(1): |
QTD August |
QTD August |
Change |
% |
|||||||||
| Agricultural Products | 5,750 | 9,386 | (3,636) | (38.7%) | |||||||||
| Coal & Coke | 78,719 | 61,343 | 17,376 | 28.3% | |||||||||
| Intermodal | 9,763 | 10,539 | (776) | (7.4%) | |||||||||
| Metallic Ores | 4,110 | 6,164 | (2,054) | (33.3%) | |||||||||
| Minerals & Stone | 11,456 | 4,607 | 6,849 | NM | |||||||||
| Petroleum Products | 67 | 60 | 7 | 11.7% | |||||||||
| Total Carloads | 109,865 | 92,099 | 17,766 | 19.3% | |||||||||
| (1) | 51.1% owned by G&W. | |
The table below sets forth U.K./European Operations carload information by commodity group.
| U.K./European Operations: |
QTD August |
QTD August |
Change |
% |
|||||||||
| Agricultural Products | 458 | 472 | (14) | (3.0%) | |||||||||
| Coal & Coke | 2,747 | 2,099 | 648 | 30.9% | |||||||||
| Intermodal | 128,453 | 151,879 | (23,426) | (15.4%) | |||||||||
| Minerals & Stone | 32,251 | 33,020 | (769) | (2.3%) | |||||||||
| Petroleum Products | 42 | 0 | 42 | NM | |||||||||
| Total Carloads | 163,951 | 187,470 | (23,519) | (12.5%) | |||||||||
| Carloads From Divested Operations(1) | 0 | 21,153 | (21,153) | NM | |||||||||
| Same Railroad Carloads | 163,951 | 166,317 | (2,366) | (1.4%) | |||||||||
| (1) | Total carloads from ERS, which was sold in June 2018. | |
Other
The term carload represents physical railcars and estimated railcar equivalents of commodities for which G&W is paid on a metric ton or other measure to move freight, as well as intermodal units.
Historically, G&W has found that traffic information may be indicative of freight revenues on its railroads. Freight revenues are revenues for which G&W is paid on a per car, per container or per metric ton basis to move freight. Activities such as railcar switching, port terminal shunting, traction services and other similar freight-related services are excluded from our traffic information as the resulting revenues are not classified as freight revenue. Traffic information may not be indicative of total operating revenues, operating expenses, operating income or net income. Please refer to the documents G&W files from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission, such as its Form 10-Q and 10-K, which contain additional information on G&W’s freight traffic and segment reporting.
About G&W
G&W owns or leases 121 freight railroads organized in nine locally managed operating regions with 8,000 employees serving 3,000 customers.
- G&W’s seven North American regions serve 41 U.S. states and four Canadian provinces and include 115 short line and regional freight railroads with more than 13,000 track-miles.
- G&W’s Australia Region serves New South Wales, the Northern Territory and South Australia and operates the 1,400-mile Tarcoola-to-Darwin rail line. The Australia Region is 51.1% owned by G&W and 48.9% owned by a consortium of funds and clients managed by Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets.
- G&W’s UK/Europe Region includes the U.K.’s largest rail maritime intermodal operator and second-largest freight rail provider, as well as regional rail services in Continental Europe.
G&W subsidiaries and joint ventures also provide rail service at more than 40 major ports, rail-ferry service between the U.S. Southeast and Mexico, transload services, contract coal loading, and industrial railcar switching and repair.
For more information, visit gwrr.com.
