TIMELY RAILWAY DATA - A LEADING ECONOMIC INDICATOR FOR GDP?

This paper outlines the results of preliminary research into the use of potentially new economic indicators for Gross Domestic Product (GDP) - railway carloadings. The Railway Carloadings Survey is a monthly survey of 18 Class I and II common carrier railways operating in Canada. The survey contains information on revenue freight by weight (in metric tonnes), the number of carloads and the commodity, for Eastern and Western Canada. The research outlined in this paper should be considered preliminary and is presented with the intent of inviting discussion and debate.