The company said that, excluding 1,310 carloads from the Arizona Eastern Railway (AZER) acquisition, which closed Sept. 1, 2011, and 250 carloads from the Hilton & Albany Railroad, Inc. (HAL), which commenced operations on New Year's Day, same-railroad traffic in March 2012 decreased 13,648 carloads, or 15.3% 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 said, reflecting overall slumps in coal traffic reported by large and smaller railroads alike.

GWI's Minerals & stone traffic decreased significantly "primarily due to lower shipments in GWI's Australia and New York/Pennsylvania Regions," the company said. All remaining traffic decreased by a net 29 carloads, however, the company pointed out.