Genesee & Wyoming traffic falls slightly in August

Regional freight railroad operator Genesee & Wyoming Inc. said Friday traffic fell 0.7 percent in August from a year earlier, as traffic from an acquired rail partially offset declines in food, lumber and coal shipments.

Genesee & Wyoming's moved 69,809 carloads last month, a decrease of 519 carloads from August 2007.

Shipments of coal, coke and ore fell 4 percent, lumber and paper fell 6 percent, while farm and forest products fell 16 percent.

Excluding traffic from the Maryland Midland Railway, which Genesee started operating this year, traffic fell 7 percent.

So far in the third quarter, traffic is down 2 percent compared with the same period last year.