(The Association of American Railroads issued the following on January 21, 2010.)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Association of American Railroads today reported that freight traffic remains down in comparison with 2009 and 2008. For the week ending Jan. 16, 2010, U.S. railroads originated 264,030 carloads, down .8 percent compared with the same week in 2009 and down 18.5 percent from the same week in 2008. In order to offer a complete picture of the progress in rail traffic, AAR will now be reporting 2010 weekly rail traffic with year-over-year comparisons for both 2009 and 2008.
In the Western U.S., carloads were down .8 percent compared with the same week last year, and 13.8 percent compared with 2008. In the East, carloads were down .9 percent compared with 2009, and down 25 percent compared with the same week in 2008.
Intermodal traffic totaled 201,728 trailers and containers, up 1.3 percent from a year ago, but down 12.6 percent from 2008. Compared with the same week in 2009, container volume increased 3.6 percent and trailer volume fell 9.2 percent. Compared with the same week in 2008, container volume fell 7 percent and trailer volume dropped 33.7 percent.
Twelve of the 19 carload freight commodity groups were up in comparison with the same week last year, 8 of those posting double digit increases. Increases in commodity groups ranged from .3 percent for coke to 83.2 percent for motor vehicles and equipment. Declines in commodity groups ranged from 14.5 percent for coal to 1.3 percent for the catch-all category labeled “all other carloads.”
Total volume on U.S. railroads for the week ending Jan. 16, 2009 was estimated at 28.7 billion ton-miles, comparable with the same week last year and down 15.6 percent from 2007.
For the first 2 weeks of 2010, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 500,826 carloads, down 6.7 percent from 2009 and 23.3 percent from 2008; 398,516 trailers or containers, down 1.2 percent from 2009 and 15 percent from 2008, and total volume of an estimated 54.2 billion ton-miles, down 6.2 percent from 2009 and 20.8 percent from 2008.
Canadian railroads reported volume of 73,394 cars for the week, up 24.1 percent from last year, and 44,268 trailers or containers, up 5.7 percent from 2009. For the first 2 weeks of 2010, Canadian railroads reported cumulative volume of 140,727 carloads, up 22.3 percent from last year, and 87,301 trailers or containers, up 2.9 percent from last year.
Mexican railroads reported originated volume of 13,210 cars, up 21 percent from the same week last year, and 6,938 trailers or containers, up 41.7 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 2 weeks of 2010 was reported as 25,333 carloads, up 26 percent from last year; and 12,660 trailers or containers, up 42.9 percent.
Combined North American rail volume for the first 2 weeks of 2010 on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 666,886 carloads, down .8 percent from last year, and 498,477 trailers and containers, up .3 percent from last year.