Company Website: http://www.gwrr.com
GREENWICH, Conn. -- (Business Wire)

Genesee & Wyoming Inc. (GWI) (NYSE: GWR) today reported traffic volumes for March 2012 and the first quarter of 2012.

GWI’s traffic in March 2012 was 77,046 carloads, a decrease of 12,088 carloads, or 13.6 percent, compared with March 2011. GWI’s traffic in the first quarter of 2012 was 222,178 carloads, a decrease of 22,378 carloads, or 9.2 percent, compared to the first quarter of 2011.

The table below sets forth consolidated carloading information for March 2012 and March 2011. Additional carload information for GWI’s North American and Australian operations is included as an exhibit to this press release.

Excluding 1,310 carloads from the Arizona Eastern Railway (AZER) acquisition, which closed September 1, 2011, and 250 carloads from the Hilton & Albany Railroad, Inc. (HAL), which commenced operations on January 1, 2012, same-railroad traffic in March 2012 decreased 13,648 carloads, or 15.3 percent, compared with March 2011. Coal & coke traffic decreased 8,462 carloads primarily due to lower shipments in GWI’s Illinois, New York/Pennsylvania and Ohio Regions. GWI’s other commodity group traffic decreased 3,905 carloads primarily due to lower overhead coal shipments in GWI’s Ohio Region. Minerals & stone traffic decreased 1,252 carloads primarily due to lower shipments in GWI’s Australia and New York/Pennsylvania Regions. All remaining traffic decreased by a net 29 carloads.

The table below sets forth consolidated carloading information for the first quarter of 2012 and the first quarter of 2011. Additional carload information for GWI’s North American and Australian operations is included as an exhibit to this press release.

Excluding 4,028 carloads from AZER and 757 carloads from HAL, same-railroad traffic in the first quarter of 2012 decreased 27,163 carloads, or 11.1 percent, compared with the first quarter of 2011. The traffic decrease was principally due to decreases of 22,205 carloads of coal & coke traffic and 8,638 carloads of other commodity group traffic, partially offset by an increase of 3,188 carloads of metals traffic. All remaining traffic increased by a net 492 carloads. In the first quarter of 2012 Metallic Ores traffic was negatively affected by the closure of a section of track at the northern end of the Adelaide to Darwin line due to the Edith River bridge washout associated with Cyclone Grant. The line was re-opened on February 28, 2012.

Carload Reporting for Metallic Ores Traffic

Effective January 1, 2012, a portion of GWI’s metallic ores commodity group includes intermodal containers as a result of a change in rail logistics and equipment for a customer in GWI’s Australia Region. The impact of this change increased traffic by 532 carloads in March 2012 and 1,264 carloads in the first quarter of 2012.

Historically, GWI has found that carload information may be indicative of freight revenues on its railroads, but may not be indicative of total revenues, operating expenses, operating income or net income. Car movements related to railcar switching, including activities at port terminals, are excluded from our carload information as the resulting revenues are classified as non-freight.

GWI owns and operates short line and regional freight railroads and provides railcar switching services in the United States, Australia, Canada, the Netherlands and Belgium. In addition, we operate the Tarcoola to Darwin rail line, which links the Port of Darwin with the Australian interstate rail network in South Australia. Operations currently include 65 railroads organized in 10 regions, with more than 7,600 miles of owned and leased track and approximately 1,400 additional miles under track access arrangements. We provide rail service at 17 ports in North America and Europe and perform contract coal loading and railcar switching for industrial customers.

Exhibit

The table below sets forth North American carloading information for March 2012 and March 2011:

The table below sets forth North American carloading information for the first quarter of 2012 and the first quarter of 2011:

The table below sets forth Australian carloading information for March 2012 and March 2011:

The table below sets forth Australian carloading information for the first quarter of 2012 and the first quarter of 2011:

Contacts:

Genesee & Wyoming Inc.
Thomas D. Savage, 1-203-629-3722
Director – Corporate Development
Web Site: http://www.gwrr.com

Source: Genesee & Wyoming Inc.