(The Association of American Railroads issued the following on July 17.)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Carload freight was up but intermodal volume was down on the nation’s railroads during the week ended July 12 in comparison with the corresponding week last year, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported today.
Carload freight in the week totaled 321,049 cars, up 3.3 percent from last year. Volume was up 6.4 percent in the West but down 1.2 percent in the East.
Intermodal volume, which is not included in the carload data, totaled 231,921 trailers or containers, down 2.8 percent from a year ago. Trailer volume was up 2.4 percent while container traffic slipped 4.1 percent. Total volume was estimated at 33.6 billion ton-miles, up 4.3 percent from the 28th week of 2007.
Eleven of 19 carload commodities registered gains from a year ago with metallic ores up 22.4 percent, grain up 6.3 percent and coal up 3.9 percent. Among commodities reporting declines were primary forest products, 19.9 percent; lumber and wood products, 16.4 percent; and nonmetallic minerals, 4.1 percent.
Cumulative volume for the first 28 weeks of 2008 totaled 9,059,027 carloads, up 0.4 percent from 2007; 6,187,074 trailers or containers, down 3.1 percent; and total volume of an estimated 937.4 billion ton-miles, up 1.6 percent from last year.
On Canadian railroads, during the week ended July 12 carload traffic totaled 73,467 cars, virtually the same as last year while intermodal volume totaled 50,840 trailers or containers, up 4.5 percent from last year.
Cumulative originations for the first 28 weeks of 2008 on the Canadian railroads totaled 2,079,530 carloads, down 4.0 percent from last year, and 1,322,159 trailers and containers, an increase of 4.5 percent from last year.
Combined cumulative volume for the first 28 weeks of 2008 on U.S. and Canadian railroads totaled 11,138,557 carloads, down 0.5 percent from last year, and 7,509,233 trailers and containers, a 1.9 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 July 12 totaled 9,293 cars, down 13.4 percent from last year. KCSM reported intermodal volume of 3,962 trailers or containers, down 0.6 percent from the 28th week of 2007. For the first 28 weeks of 2008, KCSM reported cumulative volume of 294,147 cars, down 3.3 percent from last year, and 132,142 trailers or containers, up 9.7 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.