Genesee & Wyoming May Traffic Drops 4.7 Percent

GREENWICH, Conn. (AP) — Regional freight railroad operator Genesee & Wyoming Inc. said Thursday that traffic on its tracks dropped 4.7 percent in May, as pulp and paper shipments and lumber and forest product shipments declined.

Genesee & Wyoming's May traffic was 61,043 carloads, down 2,993 carloads from the same month a year ago. Pulp and paper carloads fell to 6,892 from 10,416. Shipments of lumber and forest products slipped to 4,718 carloads from 6,377 carloads in the prior-year period.

The company said the decline in pulp and paper shipments was mostly due to lower shipments in its Canadian and Southern regions.

For the second quarter through May, traffic fell 5.5 percent to 123,913 carloads from 131,118 carloads.