(The Association of American Railroads issued the following on July 24.)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Thanks to sharp increases in loadings of coal and grain, freight traffic on the nation’s railroads was up during the week ended July 19 in comparison with the corresponding week last year, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported today.
Carload freight in the week totaled 328,634 cars, up 2.3 percent from last year. Volume was up 6.3 percent in the West but down 3.0 percent in the East.
Intermodal volume, which is not included in the carload data, totaled 233,516 trailers or containers, down 2.4 percent from a year ago. Trailer volume was up 1.1 percent while container traffic slipped 3.3 percent.
Total volume was estimated at 34.5 billion ton-miles, up 3.9 percent from the 29th week of 2007.
Grain volume was up 10.0 percent from the comparable week last year while coal loadings rose 8.6 percent and metals gained 10.9 percent. Among 14 carload commodities reporting declines were motor vehicles and parts, down 24.0 percent, farm products other than grain, down 23.7 percent, and lumber and wood products, down 18.9 percent.
Cumulative volume for the first 29 weeks of 2008 totaled 9,387,661 carloads, up 0.4 percent from 2007; 6,420,590 trailers or containers, down 3.1 percent; and total volume of an estimated 971.9 billion ton-miles, up 1.7 percent from last year.
On Canadian railroads, during the week ended July 19 carload traffic totaled 72,527 cars, down 5.1 percent from last year while intermodal volume totaled 51,798 trailers or containers, up 3.1 percent from last year.
Cumulative originations for the first 29 weeks of 2008 on the Canadian railroads totaled 2,152,057 carloads, down 4.0 percent from last year, and 1,373,957 trailers and containers, an increase of 4.2 percent from last year.
Combined cumulative volume for the first 29 weeks of 2008 on U.S. and Canadian railroads totaled 11,539,718 carloads, down 0.4 percent from last year, and 7,794,547 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 19 totaled 10,116 cars, down 3.4 percent from last year. KCSM reported intermodal volume of 4,709 trailers or containers, up 2.2 percent from the 29th week of 2007.
For the first 29 weeks of 2008, KCSM reported cumulative volume of 304,263 cars, down 3.3 percent from last year, and 136,851 trailers or containers, up 9.4 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.