(The Association of American Railroads issued the following on January 9.)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — In 2008, U.S. freight railroads originated 16,572,709 carloads (down 380,885 carloads, or 2.2 percent), while intermodal originations were 11,517,240 trailers and containers (down 509,391 units, or 4.2 percent), the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported today. Combined U.S. carloads and intermodal units in 2008 were 28.09 million, the fourth-highest such total in history (behind 2005, 2006, and 2007).
In the fourth quarter of 2008, U.S. carloads totaled 3,895,821, down 8.2 percent (349,006 carloads) from 2007, while intermodal loadings (which are not included in carload figures) totaled 2,770,609 trailers and containers, down 231,389 units (7.7 percent).
In December 2008, U.S. rail carloads were down 14.2 percent (214,680 carloads) from 2007 to 1,298,233, while intermodal originations totaled 890,133, down 13.7 percent (141,045 units) from the same period a year ago.
“It’s not surprising that U.S. rail traffic in December and the fourth quarter was down so much — we all know that the economy is in a world of hurt right now,” said AAR Senior Vice President John T. Gray. “That said, railroads’ long term future remains bright. Railroads are the best value in transportation and they’re environmentally responsible. Moreover, the financial strength and staying power they’ve developed since the balanced regulation of the Staggers Act was instituted ensures that railroads will be here next week, next year, and 20 years and more from now. When the economy turns around — and it will — railroads will be ready and America will be well served.”
In December, coal was again the lone bright spot for U.S. railroads, with originations up 0.7 percent (4,848 carloads) for the month to 673,002 carloads. The 7.5 million carloads of coal U.S. railroads originated in 2008 (up 3.5 percent, or 250,850 carloads, over 2007) accounted for 45 percent of total U.S. non-intermodal carloads. Carloads of grain rose 3.1 percent (36,545 carloads) in 2008 over 2007.
Commodities showing significant declines in U.S. carloadings in December included chemicals (down 31,616 carloads, or 21.8 percent), motor vehicles and equipment (down 31,597 carloads, or 39.8 percent), and metals and metal products (down 26,925 carloads, or 44.9 percent).
The biggest carload declines for the year were motor vehicles and equipment (down 219,603 carloads, or 21.2 percent); crushed stone, sand, and gravel (down 95,270 carloads, or 8.8 percent), and coke (down 92,190 carloads, or 32.3 percent).
All told, of the 19 major commodity categories tracked by the AAR, two saw U.S. carload gains in December, two saw gains in the fourth quarter, and four saw gains over 2007 for the full year.
Canadian rail carload traffic, which includes the U.S. operations of Canadian railroads, was down 19.8 percent (68,267 carloads) in December 2008 to 275,824 units. For the fourth quarter of 2008, Canadian carloads were down 12.3 percent (123,505 carloads) to 879,599.
For all of 2008, Canadian railroads originated 3,774,243 carloads, down 6.3 percent (255,019 carloads).
Canadian intermodal traffic was down 13.4 percent (27,531 units) in December 2008 to 178,437 units; was down 6.5 percent (40,732 units) in the fourth quarter to 585,337 units; and was up 1.4 percent (34,994 units) for the full year to 2,467,550 trailers and containers.
Carloads carried on Kansas City Southern dé Mexico, a major Mexican railroad, were down 21.1 percent (10,088 carloads) in December 2008 to 37,766 carloads, while intermodal units carried of 18,160 were down 12.1 percent (2,507 trailers and containers).
For the full year 2008, carloads carried on KCSM of 520,364 were down 7.9 percent (44,520 carloads), while intermodal traffic rose 6.6 percent (16,194 units) to 260,399 trailers and containers.
For just the week ended January 3, 2009, the AAR reported the following totals for U.S. railroads: 231,426 carloads, down 16.7 percent (46,457 carloads) from the corresponding week last year, with loadings down 21.6 percent in the East and down 13.9 percent in the West; intermodal volume of 146,540 trailers and containers, down 10.5 percent (17,262 units); and total volume of an estimated 23.3 billion ton-miles, down 14.7 percent from the equivalent week a year ago.
For Canadian railroads during the week ended January 3, the AAR reported volume of 46,548 carloads, down 27.5 percent (17,618 carloads) from the previous year, and 29,329 trailers and containers, down 15.2 percent (5,264 units) from the corresponding week a year ago.
Combined cumulative rail volume for 2008 on 12 reporting U.S. and Canadian railroads totaled 20,346,952 carloads, down 3.0 percent (635,904 carloads) from 2007, and 13,984,790 trailers and containers, down 3.3 percent (474,397 units) from 2007.