(The Association of American Railroads issued the following on January 7, 2010.)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Association of American Railroads today reported that freight rail traffic posted mixed results for the holiday week ending Jan. 2, 2010 with intermodal volume showing an increase, but carloadings remaining down in comparison to 2008. U.S. railroads reported originating 227,327 carloads, down 1.5 percent compared with the same week in 2008 and down 17.9 percent from the same week in 2007. In order to offer a complete picture of the progress in rail traffic, AAR will now be reporting 2009 weekly rail traffic with year over year comparisons for both 2008 and 2007.
In the Western U.S., carloads were down 5.8 percent compared with the same week last year, and 18.9 percent compared with 2007. In the East, carloads were up 6.8 percent compared with 2008, and down 16.3 percent compared with the same week in 2007.
Intermodal traffic totaled 149,128 trailers and containers, up 1.8 percent from a year ago, but down 9 percent from 2007. Compared with the same week in 2008, container volume rose 8.4 percent and trailer volume dropped 25.4 percent. Compared with the same week in 2007, container volume fell 1.8 percent and trailer volume dropped 36.6 percent.
Thirteen of the 19 carload freight commodity groups were up in comparison with the same week last year. Increases in commodity groups ranged from 2.5 percent for grain to 53.3 percent for motor vehicles and equipment. Declines in commodity groups ranged from 24.9 percent for the catch-all category labeled “all other carloads” to .5 percent for primary forest products.
Total volume on U.S. railroads for the week ending Jan. 2, 2009 was estimated at 25.5 billion ton-miles, down 1.2 percent compared with the same week last year and down 25.9 percent from 2007.
For the first 52 weeks of 2009, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 13,812,989 carloads, down 16.1 percent from 2008 and 18.2 percent from 2007; 9,880,602 trailers or containers, down 14.1 percent from 2008 and 17.7 percent from 2007, and total volume of an estimated 1.49 trillion ton-miles, down 15.1 percent from 2008 and 15.1 percent from 2007.
Canadian railroads reported volume of 56,608 cars for the week, up 16.9 percent from last year, and 31,466 trailers or containers, up 7.4 percent from 2008. For the first 52 weeks of 2009, Canadian railroads reported cumulative volume of 3,248,935 carloads, down 17.7 percent from last year, and 2,115,517 trailers or containers, down 14 percent from last year.
Mexican railroads reported originated volume of 7,907 cars, up 17.1 percent from the same week last year, and 3,702 trailers or containers, up 23.3 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 52 weeks of 2009 was reported as 601,610 carloads, down 9.3 percent from last year; and 288,076 trailers or containers, down 12.5 percent.
Combined North American rail volume for the first 52 weeks of 2009 on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 17,663,534 carloads, down 16.2 percent from last year, and 12,284,195 trailers and containers, down 14 percent from last year.