(The Association of American Railroads issued the following on July 27.)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Freight traffic on U.S. railroads was down during the week ended July 21 in comparison with the corresponding week last year but up from the previous week this year, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported today.
Total volume was estimated at 33.4 billion ton-miles, down 1.3 percent from the same week last year, but up 2.7 percent from the previous week this year.
Intermodal volume totaled 239,286 trailers or containers, down 3.2 percent from last year, with container volume virtually the same as last year and trailer volume down 13.8 percent.
Carload freight, which doesn’t include the intermodal data, totaled 321,232 cars for the week, down 2.2 percent from last year, but up 3.4 percent from the previous week this year. Compared with last year, loadings were down 4.1 percent in the East and 6.5 percent in the West. Weather-related problems continued to affect railroads in some parts of the country.
Seven of 19 carload commodity groups were up compared with last year. Grain was up 8.7 percent while metallic ores rose 8.2 percent and motor vehicles and equipment gained 7.4 percent. Among commodities reporting declines were farm products other than grain, down 29.2 percent; metals, off 17.8 percent; and lumber and wood products, down 14.0 percent.
Cumulative volume for the first 29 weeks of 2007 totaled 9,346,283 carloads, down 4.1 percent from 2006; 6,622,802 trailers or containers, off 1.4 percent; and total volume of an estimated 953.4 billion ton-miles, down 2.8 percent from last year.
On Canadian railroads, during the week ended July 21 carload traffic totaled 76,502 cars, up 2.2 percent from last year while intermodal volume totaled 50,271 trailers or containers, up 9.3 percent from last year.
Cumulative originations for the first 29 weeks of 2007 on the Canadian railroads totaled 2,254,206 carloads, down 0.6 percent from last year, and 1,320,285 trailers and containers, up 2.0 percent from last year.
Combined cumulative volume for the first 29 weeks of 2007 on U.S. and Canadian railroads totaled 11,600,489 carloads, down 3.4 percent from last year, and 7,943,087 trailers and containers, down 0.8 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 July 21 totaled 10,476 cars, up 4.9 percent from last year. KCSM reported intermodal volume of 4,609 trailers or containers, up 37.1 percent from the 29th week of 2006.
For the first 29 weeks of 2007, KCSM reported cumulative volume of 314,662 cars, down 3.9 percent from last year, and 125,108 trailers or containers, up 11.9 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.