(The Association of American Railroads issued the following news release on March 31.)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Carload freight traffic on U.S. railroads was down slightly, while intermodal traffic was up slightly, during the week ended March 26 (Week 12) in comparison with the corresponding week a year ago, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported today.
Good Friday, which is a holiday on many U.S. freight railroads, is included in the week ended March 26 this year but not in the corresponding week a year ago.
U.S. carload freight totaled 342,187 units in Week 12, down 0.2 percent (630 carloads) from a year ago, with loadings up 0.6 percent in the West and down 1.1 percent in the East.
Intermodal volume for the week totaled 211,228 trailers and containers, up 1.2 percent (2,418 units) from a year ago, with containers up 2.8 percent and trailers down 3.1 percent.
Total volume for the week was estimated at 31.9 billion ton-miles, up 0.6 percent (0.2 billion ton-miles) from 2004.
In the carload segment, coal was up 2.7 percent (3,655 carloads) to 139,629 carloads for the week; coke was up 25.0 percent (1,449 carloads) to 7,254 carloads; and grain was up 5.3 percent (1,205 carloads) to 23,923 carloads. Commodities seeing carload declines for the week included motor vehicles and equipment (down 13.9 percent, or 3,700 carloads, to 22,840 carloads), waste and scrap materials (down 16.5 percent, or 1,893 carloads, to 9,592 carloads), and chemicals (down 3.7 percent, or 1,152 carloads, to 29,808). All told, 10 of the 19 carload commodity groups tracked by the AAR rose for the week.
Cumulative freight volume for the first 12 weeks of 2005 on U.S. railroads totaled 4,052,550 carloads, up 2.6 percent (101,668 carloads) from 2004; 2,576,994 trailers and containers, up 8.5 percent (202,390 units); and total volume of an estimated 376.4 billion ton-miles, up 3.4 percent (12.5 billion ton-miles) from last year.
On Canadian railroads, carload traffic during the week ended March 26 totaled 65,851 cars, down 7.4 percent (5,268 carloads) from last year, while intermodal volume totaled 42,082 trailers and containers, down 1.7 percent (734 units) from last year.
Cumulative originations for the first 12 weeks of 2005 on Canadian railroads totaled 795,200 carloads, up 1.6 percent (12,744 carloads) from last year, and 496,743 trailers and containers, up 6.0 percent (28,025 units) from last year.
Combined cumulative volume for the first 12 weeks of 2005 on 15 reporting U.S. and Canadian railroads totaled 4,847,750 carloads, up 2.4 percent (114,412 carloads) from last year, and 3,073,737 trailers and containers, up 8.1 percent (230,415 units) from last year.
The AAR also reported that originated carload freight on the Mexican railroad Transportación Ferroviaria Mexicana (TFM) during the week ended March 26 totaled 7,101 cars, down 20.4 percent from last year. TFM reported intermodal volume of 2,262 originated trailers and containers, down 39.8 percent from the corresponding week of 2004. For the first 12 weeks of 2005, TFM reported cumulative originated volume of 102,270 cars, up 3.6 percent (3,548 carloads) from last year, and 44,422 trailers and containers, up 6.6 percent (2,749 units).
Railroads reporting to the AAR account for 88 percent of U.S. carload freight and 95 percent of rail intermodal volume. When the U.S. operations of Canadian railroads are included, the figures increase to 95 percent and 100 percent. The Canadian railroads reporting to the AAR account for 90 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.