Genesee & Wyoming Inc. Reports Traffic for September 2009 and the Third Quarter of 2009

GREENWICH, Conn., Oct. 13, 2009 -- Genesee & Wyoming Inc. (GWI) today reported traffic volumes for September 2009 and the third quarter of 2009.

GWI's traffic in September 2009 was 63,607 carloads, a decrease of 1,250 carloads, or 1.9 percent, compared with September 2008. GWI's traffic in the third quarter of 2009 was 197,087 carloads, a decrease of 4,457 carloads, or 2.2 percent, compared with the third quarter of 2008.

The table below sets forth carloading information for September 2009 and September 2008:

  Genesee & Wyoming Inc.         September      % of   September      % of
  by Commodity Group                  2009     Total        2008     Total

  Coal, Coke & Ores                 15,844     24.9%      14,842     22.9%
  Minerals & Stone                  12,058     19.0%      13,057     20.1%
  Pulp & Paper                       7,014     11.0%       9,736     15.0%
  Metals                             5,859      9.2%       7,799     12.0%
  Lumber & Forest Products           5,417      8.5%       6,534     10.1%
  Farm & Food Products               4,764      7.5%       4,357      6.7%
  Chemicals-Plastics                 3,945      6.2%       4,292      6.6%
  Petroleum Products                 2,233      3.5%       1,874      2.9%
  Autos & Auto Parts                   770      1.2%         911      1.4%
  Other                              5,703      9.0%       1,455      2.3%

  Total                             63,607    100.0%      64,857    100.0%

GWI railroads acquired within the last twelve months shipped a combined 10,346 carloads in September 2009. GWI's same-railroad traffic in September 2009 decreased by 11,596 carloads, or 17.9 percent, compared with September 2008. Pulp & paper traffic decreased 3,027 carloads primarily due to lower shipments in GWI's Southern and Canada Regions. Metals traffic decreased 2,743 carloads due to lower steel shipments in GWI's New York/Ohio/Pennsylvania and Southern Regions. Minerals & stone traffic decreased 2,383 carloads. All other same-railroad traffic decreased by a net 3,443 carloads.

The table below sets forth carloading information for the third quarter of 2009 and the third quarter of 2008:

  Genesee & Wyoming Inc.           3rd Qtr      % of   3rd Qtr      % of
  by Commodity Group                  2009     Total      2008     Total

  Coal, Coke & Ores                 49,720     25.2%    48,259     23.9%
  Minerals & Stone                  36,459     18.5%    37,659     18.7%
  Pulp & Paper                      22,385     11.4%    30,278     15.0%
  Metals                            18,148      9.2%    23,949     11.9%
  Farm & Food Products              16,963      8.6%    15,161      7.5%
  Lumber & Forest Products          16,813      8.5%    20,284     10.1%
  Chemicals-Plastics                11,891      6.0%    12,554      6.2%
  Petroleum Products                 6,522      3.3%     6,228      3.1%
  Autos & Auto Parts                 1,921      1.0%     2,422      1.2%
  Other                             16,265      8.3%     4,750      2.4%

  Total                            197,087    100.0%   201,544    100.0%

GWI railroads acquired within the last 12 months shipped a combined 29,118 carloads in the third quarter of 2009. Same-railroad traffic in the third quarter of 2009 decreased by 33,575 carloads, or 16.7 percent, compared with the third quarter of 2008. The decrease was principally due to declines of 8,852 carloads of pulp & paper traffic, 7,863 carloads of metals traffic, and 5,576 carloads of coal, coke and ores traffic. All other same-railroad traffic decreased by a net 11,284 carloads.

GWI railroads acquired within the last 12 months include the Georgia Southwestern Railroad and the Ohio Central Railroad System, both of which GWI purchased on October 1, 2008.

On June 15, 2009 GWI announced its intent to discontinue operations of its Huron Central Railway (HCRY) in the fourth quarter of 2009. Starting in August 2009, HCRY carloads are no longer included in this press release due to the structure of a temporary service contract. To facilitate comparison to the prior year, GWI has excluded 1,142 total HCRY carloads from September 2008 and 2,509 total HCRY carloads from Q3 2008 in this press release. However, carloads reported in GWI's Form 10-Q will include HCRY traffic for all of 2008.

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.

GWI owns and operates short line and regional freight railroads in the United States, Canada, Australia and the Netherlands. Operations currently include 63 railroads organized in nine regions, with more than 6,800 miles of owned and leased track and approximately 3,000 additional miles under track access arrangements. GWI provides rail service at 16 ports in North America and Europe and performs contract coal loading and railcar switching for industrial customers.