(The Association of American Railroads issued the following on August 14.)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Both carload and intermodal freight were down slightly on U.S. railroads during the week ended August 9 in comparison with the corresponding week last year, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported today.
Carload freight in the week totaled 328,281 cars, off 0.1 percent from last year. Volume was up 1.2 percent in the West but down 2.0 percent in the East.
Intermodal volume, which is not included in the carload data, totaled 233,948 trailers or containers, down 1.4 percent from a year ago. Trailer volume was up 0.3 percent while container traffic slipped 1.9 percent.
Total volume was estimated at 34.2 billion ton-miles, the same as during the 32nd week of 2007.
Seven of 19 carload commodities were up from a year ago, with metallic ores gaining 49.5 percent, metals rising 5.3 percent and coal up 5.1 percent. On the negative side, motor vehicles and equipment were down 29.6 percent, lumber and wood products fell 16.9 percent and farm products other than grain dropped 16.5 percent. Cumulative volume for the first 32 weeks of 2008 totaled 10,386,894 carloads, up 0.3 percent from 2007; 7,120,760 trailers or containers, down 3.0 percent; and total volume of an estimated 1.08 trillion ton-miles, up 1.5 percent from last year.
On Canadian railroads, during the week ended August 9 carload traffic totaled 71,764 cars, down 4.7 percent from last year while intermodal volume totaled 47,826 trailers or containers, up 0.7 percent from last year.
Cumulative originations for the first 32 weeks of 2008 on the Canadian railroads totaled 2,372,142 carloads, down 4.2 percent from last year, and 1,522,668 trailers and containers, an increase of 4.2 percent from last year.
Combined cumulative volume for the first 32 weeks of 2008 on U.S. and Canadian railroads totaled 12,759,036 carloads, down 0.5 percent from last year, and 8,643,428 trailers and containers, a 1.8 percent decrease from last year.
The AAR also reported that carload freight on the Mexican railroad Kansas City Southern de Mexico (KCSM) during the week ended August 9 totaled 10,116 cars, down 6.6 percent from last year. KCSM reported intermodal volume of 5,951 trailers or containers, up 11.0 percent from the 32nd week of 2007.
For the first 32 weeks of 2008, KCSM reported cumulative volume of 334,480 cars, down 3.4 percent from last year, and 153,414 trailers or containers, up 8.8 percent.
Railroads reporting to AAR account for 89 percent of U.S. carload freight and 98 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.