(The Association of American Railroads issued the following on June 20.)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — At least partly because of floods in the Midwest, rail freight traffic on U.S. railroads was off during the week ended June 14 in comparison with the corresponding week last year, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported today.
Carload freight in the week totaled 324,337 cars, down 4.4 percent from last year. Volume was off 4.4 percent in the West and 4.5 percent in the East.
Intermodal volume, which is not included in the carload data, totaled 228,424 trailers or containers, down 4.8 percent from a year ago.
Trailer volume was off 1.3 percent while container traffic dropped 5.8 percent.
Total volume was estimated at 33.3 billion ton-miles, down 3.5 percent from the 24th week of 2007.
Seven of 19 carload commodities registered gains from a year ago with metallic ores up 14.6 percent, food and food products up 6.8 percent and grain up 6.2 percent. Among commodities reporting declines were motor vehicles and equipment, 17.6 percent; lumber and wood products, 17.1 percent; and farm products other than grain, 16.1 percent.
Cumulative volume for the first 24 weeks of 2008 totaled 7,804,897 carloads, up 0.6 percent from 2007; 5,302,794 trailers or containers, down 3.1 percent; and total volume of an estimated 807.0 billion ton-miles, up 1.8 percent from last year.
On Canadian railroads, during the week ended June 14 carload traffic totaled 74,808 cars, down 7.7 percent from last year while intermodal volume totaled 48,185 trailers or containers, up 1.7 percent from last year.
Cumulative originations for the first 24 weeks of 2008 on the Canadian railroads totaled 1,787,609 carloads, down 3.9 percent from last year, and 1,130,267 trailers and containers, an increase of 4.5 percent from last year.
Combined cumulative volume for the first 24 weeks of 2008 on U.S. and Canadian railroads totaled 9,592,306 carloads, down 0.3 percent from last year, and 6,433,061 trailers and containers, a 1.8 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 June 14 totaled 10,737 cars, up 4.7 percent from last year. KCSM reported intermodal volume of 4,758 trailers or containers, down 2.4 percent from the 24th week of 2007.
For the first 24 weeks of 2008, KCSM reported cumulative volume of 251,974 cars, down 3.2 percent from last year, and 114,134 trailers or containers, up 10.2 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.