(The Association of American Railroads issued the following on March 13.)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Freight traffic on U.S. railroads was off during the first week of March in comparison with the corresponding week last year, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported today.
Carload freight totaled 323,323 cars, down 2.3 percent from last year. Volume was up 2.7 percent in the West but down 8.6 percent in the East.
Intermodal volume, which is not included in the carload data, totaled 206,351 trailers or containers, down 15.1 percent from a year ago. Container volume fell 17.7 percent while trailer volume was off 6.0 percent. The decline in container volume was at least partly attributable to the timing of Chinese New Year.
Total volume was estimated at 33.5 billion ton-miles, down 0.9 percent from the tenth week of 2007.
Seven of 19 carload commodities registering gains from a year ago. Loadings of metallic ores jumped 134.0 percent while grain rose 7.5 percent and farm products other than grain were up 36.7 percent. On the downside, lumber and wood products were off 19.5 percent, primary forest products dropped 18.0 percent and crushed stone, sand and gravel fell 17.2 percent.
Cumulative volume for the first ten weeks of 2008 totaled 3,187,807 carloads, up 1.3 percent from 2007; 2,169,042 trailers or containers, down 4.6 percent; and total volume of an estimated 329.6 billion ton-miles, up 2.5 percent from last year.
On Canadian railroads, during the week ended March 8 carload traffic totaled 71,803 cars, down 10.9 percent from last year while intermodal volume totaled 42,546 trailers or containers, off 6.6 percent from last year.
Cumulative originations for the first ten weeks of 2008 on the Canadian railroads totaled 726,881 carloads, down 1.1 percent from last year, and 454,313 trailers and containers, an increase of 6.7 percent from last year.
Combined cumulative volume for the first ten weeks of 2008 on U.S. and Canadian railroads totaled 3,914,688 carloads, up 0.8 percent from last year, and 2,623,355 trailers and containers, a 2.8 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 March 8 totaled 11,474 cars, up 0.7 percent from last year. KCSM reported intermodal volume of 5,397 trailers or containers, up 10.2 percent from the tenth week of 2007.
For the first ten weeks of 2008, KCSM reported cumulative volume of 103,989 cars, down 1.0 percent from last year, and 47,400 trailers or containers, up 14.0 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.