(The Association of American Railroads issued the following on August 7, 2009.)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Association of American Railroads today reported 1,319,387 carloads of freight in July 2009, down 17.5 percent (280,659 carloads) compared with July 2008. U.S. intermodal rail traffic, comprising trailers and containers on flat cars not included in carload figures, totaled 922,734 units in July 2009, down 18.0 percent (203,061 trailers and containers) compared with July 2008.
For the first seven months of 2009, total U.S. rail carloadings were down 19.0 percent (1,854,657 carloads) to 7,885,039 carloads, while intermodal traffic was down 17.2 percent (1,153,208 units) to 5,569,802 trailers and containers.
All 19 major commodity categories tracked by the AAR saw carload declines in July. The biggest carload declines were coal (down 9.9 percent, or 68,879 carloads); metals and metal products (down 47.7 percent, or 29,849 carloads); metallic ores (down 58.9 percent, or 26,724 carloads); and crushed stone and gravel (down 25.8 percent, or 26,402 carloads).
“July was an interesting month,” said AAR Senior Vice President John T. Gray. “If you see the glass as half full, 14 carload commodity categories were ‘less worse off’ than they were in the first half of the year. But then you remember 15 commodity groups still saw double-digit declines relative to last year, including metals and products down 48 percent and motor vehicles down 38 percent. While the automotive performance was an improvement over recent levels, we should remember that it was supported by a billion dollars of federal assistance. When this assistance ends, it remains to be seen whether the combination of production, inventory and sales levels will continue to boost railcar loadings.”
Canadian rail carload traffic in July 2009 was down 22.0 percent (84,210 carloads) to 297,914 carloads. Canadian intermodal traffic in July 2009 was down 19.2 percent (47,628 units) from July 2008 to 200,294 trailers and containers.
For the first seven months of 2009, Canadian rail carloadings were down 23.8 percent (558,373 carloads) to 1,791,006 carloads, while Canadian intermodal traffic was down 16.2 percent (233,059 units) to 1,205,154 trailers and containers.
Mexican rail carload traffic (which include Ferrocarril Mexicano and Kansas City Southern dé Mexico) was down 23.1 percent (17,195 carloads) in July 2009, while intermodal traffic was down 25.4 percent (8,765 trailers and containers).
For the first seven months of 2009, Mexican rail carloadings were down 15.4 percent (61,919 carloads) to 339,620 carloads, while Mexican intermodal traffic was down 21.8 percent (40,372 units) to 144,735 trailers and containers.
For just the week ended August 1, the AAR reported the following totals for U.S. railroads: 274,728 carloads, down 18.3 percent from the corresponding week in 2008; intermodal volume of 193,684 trailers and containers, down 16.1 percent; and total volume of an estimated 29.3 billion ton-miles, down 17.7 percent from the equivalent week last year.
For Canadian railroads during the week ended August 1, the AAR reported volume of 62,972 carloads, down 22.1 percent from last year; and 41,969 trailers and containers, down 16.5 percent from the corresponding week in 2008.
For Mexican railroads during the week ended August 1, the AAR reported volume of 10,409 carloads, down 32.9 percent from last year; and 5,310 trailers and containers, down 22.1 percent from the corresponding week in 2008.
Combined cumulative volume for the first 30 weeks of 2009 on 12 reporting U.S. and Canadian railroads was 9,676,045 carloads, down 20.0 percent (2,413,030 carloads) from last year; and 6,774,956 trailers and containers, down 17.0 percent (1,386,267 trailers and containers) from 2008’s first 30 weeks.