(The Association of American Railroads issued the following on September 20.)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Intermodal volume on U.S. railroads reached its highest level so far this year during the week ended September 15, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported today.
A total of 252,283 trailers and containers were loaded during the week, making it the seventh highest weekly total ever. However, the total was down 2.0 percent from the comparable week last year, which was the busiest week in history for intermodal. For the week, container volume was down 0.2 percent while trailer loadings were off 8.3 percent from last year.
Carload freight totaled 338,147 cars, down 2.3 percent from last week. Loadings were down 5.3 percent in the East and 0.1 percent in the West.
Total volume was estimated at 35.5 billion ton-miles, down 0.8 percent from the comparable week last year.
Among individual carload commodities, grain was up 14.7 percent from last year and chemicals gained 6.8 percent. Declines were reported in metallic ores, 26.2 percent; lumber and wood products, 20.9 percent; and metals, 14.3 percent.
Cumulative volume for the first 37 weeks of 2007 totaled 12,023,053 carloads, down 3.4 percent from 2006; 8,521,549 trailers or containers, off 1.9 percent; and total volume of an estimated 1.24 trillion ton-miles, down 1.9 percent from last year.
On Canadian railroads, during the week ended September 15 carload traffic totaled 79,210 cars, down 3.5 percent from last year while intermodal volume totaled 50,816 trailers or containers, up 6.3 percent from last year.
Cumulative originations for the first 37 weeks of 2007 on the Canadian railroads totaled 2,872,475 carloads, down 1.1 percent from last year, and 1,709,428 trailers and containers, up 2.9 percent from last year.
Combined cumulative volume for the first 37 weeks of 2007 on U.S. and Canadian railroads totaled 14,895,528 carloads, down 3.0 percent from last year, and 10,230,977 trailers and containers, down 1.2 percent from last year.
The AAR also reported that carload freight on the Mexican railroad Kansas City Southern de Mexico (KCSM) during the week ended September 15 totaled 10,324 cars, down 14.1 percent from last year. KCSM reported intermodal volume of 4,836 trailers or containers, up 11.5 percent from the 37th week of 2006.
For the first 37 weeks of 2007, KCSM reported cumulative volume of 400,958 cars, down 4.2 percent from last year, and 166,384 trailers or containers, up 13.9 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.