(The Association of American Railroads issued the following news release on March 1.)
WASHINGTON — Intermodal volume was up but carload traffic was down on U.S. railroads during the week ended February 24 in comparison with a year ago, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported today.
Intermodal volume totaled 231,943 trailers or containers, up 9.2 percent from last year, with container volume up 15.5 percent but trailer volume down 8.4 percent.
Carload freight, which doesn’t include the intermodal data, totaled 317,848 cars for the week, down 2.5 percent from the comparable week last year. Loadings were up 4.6 percent in the West but down 10.7 percent in the East. Total volume was estimated at 32.5 billion ton-miles, off 0.6 percent from last year.
Fifteen of 19 carload commodity groups were down from last year, with metallic ores down 31.3 percent; lumber and wood products off 26.8 percent; and primary forest products down 22.4 percent. Loadings of nonmetallic minerals gained 26.6 percent, while coal registered a 4.0 percent increase.
Cumulative volume for the first eight weeks of 2007 totaled 2,492,031 carloads, down 5.7 percent from 2006; 1,793,271 trailers or containers, off 0.1 percent; and total volume of an estimated 253.2 billion ton-miles, down 4.5 percent from last year.
On Canadian railroads, during the week ended February 24 carload traffic totaled 70,711 cars, down 7.4 percent from last year while intermodal volume totaled 41,696 trailers or containers, down 3.7 percent from last year. Members of the United Transportation Union were on strike against CN until late on the final day of the week.
Cumulative originations for the first eight weeks of 2007 on the Canadian railroads totaled 580,831 carloads, down 5.2 percent from last year, and 337,066 trailers and containers, down 0.4 percent from last year.
Combined cumulative volume for the first eight weeks of 2007on U.S. and Canadian railroads totaled 3,072,862 carloads, down 5.6 percent from last year, and 2,130,337 trailers and containers, off 0.1 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 February 24 totaled 11,134 cars, up 5.4 percent from last year. KCSM reported intermodal volume of 4,412 trailers or containers, up 7.6 percent from the eighth week of 2006.
For the first eight weeks of 2007, KCSM reported cumulative volume of 82,249 cars, down 7.0 percent from last year, and 32,442 trailers or containers, up 9.6 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.
AAR is the world’s leading railroad policy, research and technology organization focusing on the safety and productivity of rail carriers.