(The Association of American Railroads issued the following news release on March 23.)
WASHINGTON — Rail freight traffic was mixed on U.S. railroads during the week ended March 18, with intermodal traffic up and carload freight down in comparison with the corresponding week last year, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported today.
Intermodal volume gained 7.2 percent from last year, totaling 229,831 trailers or containers. Container volume grew by 9.7 percent while trailer volume was up 0.3 percent.
Carload freight was totaled 332,615 cars, down 1.9 percent from a year earlier, with volume down 1.7 percent in the West and 2.3 percent in the East.
Total freight volume for the week was estimated at 32.9 billion ton-miles, down 1.2 percent from last year.
Even though total carload freight was down from last year, 12 of 19 individual commodity groups showed gains, with farm products other than grain up 21.9 percent; crushed stone, sand and gravel up 16.2 percent; and food and food products up 6.4 percent. Sharp declines were reported in loadings of nonmetallic minerals, down 32.0 percent; coke, off 13.9 percent; and primary forest products, down 13.8 percent.
Cumulative volume for the first 11 weeks of 2006 totaled 3,648,187 carloads, up 0.5 percent from 2005; 2,469,254 trailers or containers, up 4.6 percent; and total volume of an estimated 361.5 billion ton-miles, up 1.7 percent from last year.
On Canadian railroads, during the week ended March 18 carload traffic totaled 75,043 cars, down 6.2 percent from last year while intermodal volume totaled 43,767 trailers or containers, up 1.9 percent from last year.
Cumulative originations for the first 11 weeks of 2006 on the Canadian railroads totaled 808,304 carloads, down 2.3 percent from last year, and 471,464 trailers and containers, up 3.9 percent from last year.
Combined cumulative volume for the first 11 weeks of 2006 on 13 reporting U.S. and Canadian railroads totaled 4,456,491 carloads, virtually the same as last year and 2,940,718 trailers and containers, up 4.5 percent from last year.
The AAR also said that during the week ended March 18 Mexican railroad Kansas City Southern de Mexico (KCSM) reported total carload volume of 12,098 cars, up 1.9 percent from last year. KCSM reported total intermodal volume of 3,615 trailers or containers, up 1.2 percent from the 11 week of 2005.
For the first 11 weeks of 2006, KCSM reported total cumulative volume of 124,242 cars, down 5.6 percent from last year, and 41,890 trailers or containers, down 6.1 percent.
Railroads reporting to AAR account for 87 percent of U.S. carload freight and 96 percent of rail intermodal volume. When the U.S. operations of Canadian railroads are included, the figures increase to 96 percent and 100 percent. The Canadian railroads reporting to the AAR account for 91 percent of Canadian rail traffic. Railroads provide more than 40 percent of U.S. intercity freight transportation, more than any other mode, and rail traffic figures are regarded as an important economic indicator.
AAR is the world’s leading railroad policy, research and technology organization focusing on the safety and productivity of rail carriers.