(The Association of American Railroads issued the following on June 21.)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Freight traffic on U.S. railroads was down slightly from the comparable week last year during the week ended June 16, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported today.
Intermodal volume totaled 240,002 trailers or containers, down 2.3 percent from last year, with container volume up 0.3 percent and trailer volume down 11.1 percent.
Carload freight, which doesn’t include the intermodal data, totaled 339,670 cars for the week, down 1.8 percent from last year. Loadings were down 1.3 percent in the West and 2.4 percent in the East. Total volume was estimated at 34.5 billion ton-miles, down 1.1 percent from last year.
Although down from last year, the carload volume reached its highest weekly level thus far this year, while intermodal volume was at its second highest level this year.
Eight of 19 carload commodity groups registered gains from last year, with nonmetallic minerals up 9.0 percent and petroleum products up 6.6 percent. Loadings of lumber and wood products were off 18.0 percent while metals were down 14.5 percent.
Cumulative volume for the first 24 weeks of 2007 totaled 7,757,778 carloads, down 4.3 percent from 2006; 5,469,789 trailers or containers, off 1.3 percent; and total volume of an estimated 789.4 billion ton-miles, down 3.0 percent from last year.
On Canadian railroads, during the week ended June 16 carload traffic totaled 81,230 cars, up 3.7 percent from last year while intermodal volume totaled 47,441 trailers or containers, up 1.8 percent from last year.
Cumulative originations for the first 24 weeks of 2007 on the Canadian railroads totaled 1,869,459 carloads, down 0.8 percent from last year, and 1,082,656 trailers and containers, up 1.3 percent from last year.
Combined cumulative volume for the first 24 weeks of 2007 on U.S. and Canadian railroads totaled 9,627,237 carloads, down 3.6 percent from last year, and 6,552,445 trailers and containers, down 0.9 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 June 16 totaled 10,258 cars, down 14.1 percent from last year. KCSM reported intermodal volume of 4,875 trailers or containers, up 1.3 percent from the 24th week of 2006.
For the first 24 weeks of 2007, KCSM reported cumulative volume of 260,228 cars, down 5.0 percent from last year, and 103,563 trailers or containers, up 10.8 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.