(The Association of American Railroads issued the following on June 26.)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Midwest floods continued to negatively impact rail freight traffic during the week ended June 21, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported today.
Carload freight in the week totaled 318,275 cars, down 5.7 percent from the comparable week last year. Volume was off 6.1 percent in the West and 5.3 percent in the East.
Intermodal volume, which is not included in the carload data, totaled 228,547 trailers or containers, down 5.6 percent from a year ago. Trailer volume was off 1.8 percent while container traffic dropped 6.6 percent.
Total volume was estimated at 32.8 billion ton-miles, down 4.4 percent from the 25th week of 2007.
Only two of 19 carload commodities registered gains from a year ago with chemicals up 4.9 percent and grain mill products up 0.8 percent. Among commodities reporting declines were motor vehicles and equipment, 19.3 percent; lumber and wood products, 21.8 percent; and petroleum products, 11.6 percent.
Cumulative volume for the first 25 weeks of 2008 totaled 8,123,172 carloads, up 0.3 percent from 2007; 5,531,341 trailers or containers, down 3.2 percent; and total volume of an estimated 839.8 billion ton-miles, up 1.6 percent from last year.
On Canadian railroads, during the week ended June 21 carload traffic totaled 75,754 cars, down 6.9 percent from last year while intermodal volume totaled 48,407 trailers or containers, down 1.4 percent from last year.
Cumulative originations for the first 25 weeks of 2008 on the Canadian railroads totaled 1,863,363 carloads, down 4.0 percent from last year, and 1,178,674 trailers and containers, an increase of 4.3 percent from last year.
Combined cumulative volume for the first 25 weeks of 2008 on U.S. and Canadian railroads totaled 9,986,535 carloads, down 0.5 percent from last year, and 6,710,015 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 June 21 totaled 10,628 cars, off 3.9 percent from last year. KCSM reported intermodal volume of 4,887 trailers or containers, up 5.8 percent from the 25th week of 2007.
For the first 25 weeks of 2008, KCSM reported cumulative volume of 262,602 cars, down 3.2 percent from last year, and 119,021 trailers or containers, up 10.0 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.